Category Archives: Life

Life, Parenting

8 Things Dads and Kids Should Experience Together

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dads, kids, fatherhood, parenting, family

Calling all dads: It’s not rare to want to spend more time with your kids one-on-one (or two, or three…) While many families spend time together regularly doing things like eating dinner, going grocery shopping, or attending family events, outings with just dad and the kids can seem few and far between. With busy schedules, contradicting interests, and a lack of ideas, it can feel nearly impossible to plan fun things to experience with your children. But, fear not! We’ve compiled a list of ten things all kids and dads should experience together to give you your next Saturday plans.

  1. Daddy-daughter dance. Sure, this one is a no-brainer, but seriously! If you’re a dad who happens to have at least one daughter, the daddy-daughter dance is a must-experience for both parties. It’s a night to dress up with your little girl and take her out on the town, maybe even teaching her some cool moves. It’s an excellent way to bond with your daughter in an environment specifically set up just for the two of you – and you’ll leave with absolutely precious memories.
  1. Shopping for school supplies. Not to stereotype, but more often than not, it’s moms taking their kids shopping for school supplies. Whether it’s because they had snatched the list out of the mailbox first or simply know where all the best discounts are, convincing Mom to sit this one out and allow you, as a dad, to take your kids shopping for school supplies, is an excellent way to start important conversations about school and (literally) invest in their next school year. They’ll leave knowing you care about their academic performance, and think of you every time they pull out their new favorite notebook.
  1. Learning to ride a bike. Every kid has to do it – through tears, falls, cuts, and scrapes, learning a bike is total dad territory! It’s a symbolic experience because you – who have always tried to protect your kids from harm and do things for them – must literally push them off and let them try something new for themselves. Though it may be hard to let go of the handlebars at first, this experience will teach your kids that you believe in them – and help you realize just how capable your little babies are.
  1. Carving a pumpkin. Pumpkin carving is a Halloween favorite, and for good reason! It’s messy, it’s spooky, and you can even get some yummy pumpkin seed snacks out of it. This is a great experience for dads and kids because you can encourage their creativity and help bring their vision to life. Once all is said and done, you will have a finished project that you both can take pride in having created together.
  2. Camping. What better time would there be to teach your kids all your survival skills? Okay, maybe you’ll only be cooking s’mores, but camping is a great way to get away from distractions of the technical modern world and simply be with your kids. From sleeping under the stars to starting fires for dinner, it will be an experience neither you or your kids would trade for the world.
  1. Learning a sport. Playing catch is an easy way to spend time bonding while learning an important skill and doesn’t require a lot of equipment. For instance, you can get all of your baseball hitting equipment delivered right to your house. But, whether it’s baseball, softball, volleyball, or golf, teaching your child a sport creates a bond by giving you two an activity you can enjoy together for years to come. The relaxed and casual outside atmosphere is perfect for teaching your kids the harder lessons of sports, like perseverance and confidence – and, of course, having lots of fun. Keeping positive is an essential during this activity, and free courses like this free positive parenting class can help you do just that, making for an excellent day at the park.
  1. Reading a book (a long one!) Reading to your kids is an amazing way to bond with them, even after they can read for themselves. Starting a chapter book neither of you have read and reading a chapter aloud to your children every night before bedtime is a great way to establish routine and give you something in common to be excited about. What will happen next? They’ll be looking forward to your next late-night reading session to find out.
  1. Going to dinner. There’s something to be said for taking your kids out to a special dinner, whether it’s somewhere homely or a fancy restaurant. Not only will you give Mom the night to herself, but you’ll be able to physically sit down with your kids over a good meal and really talk to them about their lives. As they grow older, these opportunities will dwindle, so take advantage of them while you can!

As you can see from our list, having amazing experiences with your kids does not have to be difficult, break the bank, or be intimidating. There are hundreds of activities you can do over the years that will create a strong bond between you – and give you both sweet and fun memories to cherish. 

Comment down below with your favorite memory with your kids or with your own dad – what made it so special?

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

What Do Your Kids Think About You?

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kids, family, parenting
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Having kids can be a magnificent thing. The opportunity to bring new life into the world is one which a lot of people want to grasp, with the idea of being a parent being at the top of their list of goals. Of course, though, getting through a pregnancy is only the first stage in this process, and things can get more complicated as the little one gets older. As they get smarter, they will be able to develop an opinion and idea of who you are. As a good role model, you will want them to see the best side of you for this, and this post is here to help you out with it.

Knowledge & Intelligence

Kids will naturally look up to their parents, and will assume that they are borderline geniuses until they reach their teenage years. You will find their school work easy, will have knowledge of loads of subjects they haven’t heard of, and will have a lot of ways to demonstrate this. Of course, though, intelligence is a double-edged sword, as no one likes to be made to feel stupid, and this applies to your children, too. When you’re playing a board game, for example, it makes sense to give your kids an edge with something like Unscramble. While this will mean that you have a disadvantage, it will show your children that they can use tools to enhance their natural intelligence.

Empathy & Compassion

It’s not uncommon for parents to tell their children off when they are angry at them, and this can get worse and worse once a child reaches their teenage years. Along with this, throughout their life, your child will see you interact with loads of different people, and the empathy and compassion you show on this journey will have a big impact on your child. Acting compassionately isn’t always easy, with a lot of people finding their emotions leading the way when they get into arguments or conflicts. Being mindful is a big part of this, and can make it far easier to keep yourself cool and collected.

Strength

Physical strength is becoming less and less important in the modern world, with people using their wits and minds to do battle, rather than their bodies. Parents need to be strong, but it isn’t big muscles which they need; it’s a big heart. When someone passes away, a natural disaster occurs, or anything else happens which could make you upset, it’s worth being strong for your children. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t show your emotions, as your children need to see this side of you, too. Instead, you simply have to avoid letting them wrap you up, keeping your head strong and giving your little ones the support they need.

Living in a family can be a challenge when you haven’t had any kids before. There are a lot of little things you need to think about, and everyone will want to take the same approach. Of course, though, as time goes on, you will learn how to handle these areas, and this will give you an edge in your parenting journey.

Life, Parenting

Growing Pains: Helping Your Child With Their Teenage Anxieties

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anxieties, teenager, child, parenting, kids, growing up
Pixabay – CC0 Licence

While you might think that once you get past the toddler stage, it is plain sailing! After all, the idea of a good night’s sleep went out the window when they were born, and you look forward to reclaiming that later on. But, you could very well struggle with this issue again when they become teenagers. Not because of the general day-to-day duties, but because of something far deeper. Teenage anxiety is, as you will remember, incredibly unique. And in fact, it can be argued that it’s worse today than it ever was. But what can you do to help your child with their teenage anxieties?

Pinpointing The Actual Problem

It’s not always about asking them directly, but it’s about casual observation. It can take time to get to the root of the issue but it may very well be a straightforward problem, like acne. In which case you might very well be able to help in this respect, by pointing them in the direction of the right medication, or take them to the doctor. Or in fact, make your own acne cream with RU58841 5% solution! It’s better to take a step back and observe so you can see what the main issues are and if it’s something that, in the grand scheme of things, is cosmetic, this is something we can aim to fix.

They May Not Want To Speak To You About Their Problems

If this is the case, can you point them in the direction of someone who can help? It all depends on the nature of the problem, but what you can help with is to give them a way to express themselves. This is something that as a parent we have to realize that we might not be able to directly influence the outcome. But what we can do is to point in the right direction either in terms of counseling, or giving them the opportunity to vent with someone else. But what they don’t want us to do is interfere. This might be a bit heartbreaking because you want to help your child, but if they don’t want to speak to you directly, it’s important to remind them that when they are ready to talk to you that you are there.

Be Careful With Positivity

Ultimately you might have been there before, and experienced all the same issues, but now you feel okay. But when you try and communicate this to your child, it’s important that you don’t hurry them along to get over it, because what they’re going through his seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. It’s difficult for them right now, and as much as you can tell them to be more positive, this might not be what they need to get to the core of the problem. Sometimes we have to just let them ride it out. But we can do as a parent is to ensure they know we are there. 

Maybe their problems are insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they’re going through a huge state of anxiety. Whatever your opinion is this can be more stressful than you think. Keep your perspective, and remember, you were there once!