Ideas for Connecting with Your Kids
Looking for some new ideas for having fun with your son and/or daughter? Get our ideas for some quailty father-son and father-daughter bonding. And, every child is different - so take our basic ideas and use them to come up with what fits the personality/interest of your son/daughter.
Bonding With Your Son- Play A Sport Together. Help your son practice for his next game by breaking out a ball and bat, or teach him a sport you've always loved. Be sure to affirm him and let him know how well he is doing.
- Watch the Game Together. It's a simple way to get some quality time together. Suit up in your jerseys, caps, and t-shirts, and hoot and holler at the TV. Along the way, teach him some of the finer points of the game or share stories from your athletic glory days.
- Teach Him Skills. As Napoleon Dynamite says, "Girls like guys with skills." All jokes aside, give your son a skill you feel that it is important for every man to know. Teach him how to change the oil in a car or how to repair a flat; take him fishing and teach him the finer points of baiting a hook; grill the perfect burger together; or tackle a home improvement project together.
- Chow Down. Take your son out for ice cream, burgers, or your favorite food and just spend some time shootin' the breeze!
Bonding with your Daughter- Go on a Date. "Dating" your daughter is the best way to show her how she should be treated by other men, and to give her a firm foundation for healthy relationships with men later in life. Do dinner and a movie, take her to a local event, or try a new restaurant together.
- Enjoy a Hobby with Her . Bake cookies together or have her teach you how to make a necklace for your wife. Does she like to sing? Break out your guitar and have a jam session.
- Go Shopping. Yes, that's right, we said it. Probably not your favorite, but if it's a good way to spend time with your daughter, that's what's important, right? Take her for something specific she's been wanting - a new pair of earrings, a new purse, a cute sweater. It may not be your idea of a fun afternoon, but remember, it's important to your daughter.
- Let Her Do Something for You. A lot of girls enjoy cooking or baking, or other crafts that produce an end product. Let her bake you cookies and then praise her for how good they are, or ask her to make you one of her special pictures or drawings. She'll feel honored