How do/did you “soak it up” with your kids? Time going fast with kids spin off.

I like to walk around the yard with my son(4) and pickup cool shaped sticks or go down to Rutherford Beach with both kids and just go walk.

At night I lay down with each kid and we will make direct eye contact and just talk for a few minutes.

Travel, coaching a team with kids, events, church, concerts, hiking, biking, golf, sporting events, etc..


Adding Sit down at Dinner each night at home and talk.

Travel is the best way to really make great memories. Spent a week in Omaha with my kids in 2023 and they still say it's the best trip we've ever taken. Just need to get back this year so we can do it again!

Time is cruel. You can’t soak it up. It’s almost been 10 years since Covid. Every year is faster and faster.

I am/was the dad who cooked most of the meals. Did most of the housekeeping which had me up front everyday with my boys. Also, supported them in scouting as a committee member and firearms instructor and RSO. Many many campouts.

This came about with a more flexible schedule and the wife hammered in big 4 accounting. She’s heavily involved in the high adventure scout events and just got the Triple Crown after Northern Tier……she hits Everest Base Camp 4 later this year. Our boys have been her high adventure companions (sans Everest plans).

All three Eagle Scouts and one Vigil award recipient. Nerds that have hit the road with us all over CO, NM, MN, NY, etc. including the UK and Ireland.

Wouldn’t trade a minute of it for them to be “cool kids” hanging out with all the snap chatters.

Do things with kids individually

It doesn't necessarily have to be anything special. It can just be a trip to the grocery store.

But kids act differently when its just you and them and no other siblings.

So both me and my wife make an effort to do things alone with the kids individually.

I take walks around the neighborhood with my oldest and spend time with my youngest taking him to soccer training and academy then we do some hill runs on the weekends along with some ladder drills.

spent time with both sons coaching their youth football and baseball teams.also never missed a game once they started playing sports in middle and high school. hunting with them from a very young age was some great times. also always had sit down dinner and everyone discussed their days. the one thing i would change and have told both my sons not to make same mistake is i wish i would of spent less on Christmas presents and took alot more family vacations. save up for nice Christmas presents that they love at the moment but they lose their luster very quickly. one rule we had was the "dead man talking" rule. they could discuss anything they wanted with me and i could only give advice not judge or get angry or ground them for it. got this idea from Marc Pittman's book "A father's story:Raising Cole". im not much of a reader but loved this book!!!

My boy is 5 now, and I feel like I am very present in his life. More times than not, when he asks me to play with him or get on the floor and play/wrestle with him I do it. ..because I know there will come a day when he won't want to anymore. And that will absolutely destroy me.

I used to sing him a song every single night when I put him down for bed, and last year he told me he didn't want to do that anymore, and after I left his room I broke down for a few minutes. Thankfully, he's sort of come back around on singing songs or reading books when he goes to bed. So I am getting a little of that feeling back again, and it's nice.

Also, any time he and I are both off work/school but my wife is working, I do a little Boys' Day for us. We do lots of random shite. Could be hitting up Bass Pro/Cabelas, the zoo, a museum, pet stores (he loves seeing the animals), the mall, walking around LSU campus, whatever. It doesn't even matter what we do, but we are just pal-ing around together, and he LOVES that shite.

But he tells me all the time how awesome of a time he has with me, or how much he loves doing shite with me, or how it's the best day of his life, or how much fun we have, and it makes me feel stupid awesome inside. And I can only hope that he always feels that way (even though I know he won't). So I just try to be as present with him as I can. I made a conscious choice to put the phone down more times than not and play with him, and hopefully he remembers that when he's older.

Side note: If you have a kid (but especially a son), and have never heard "The Best Day" by George Strait, check it out. It will have you damn near in tears:

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I am/was the dad who cooked most of the meals. Did most of the housekeeping which had me up front everyday with my boys. Also, supported them in scouting as a committee member and firearms instructor and RSO. Many many campouts. This came about with a more flexible schedule and the wife hammered in big 4 accounting. She’s heavily involved in the high adventure scout events and just got the Triple Crown after Northern Tier……she hits Everest Base Camp 4 later this year. Our boys have been her high adventure companions (sans Everest plans). All three Eagle Scouts and one Vigil award recipient. Nerds that have hit the road with us all over CO, NM, MN, NY, etc. including the UK and Ireland. Wouldn’t trade a minute of it for them to be “cool kids” hanging out with all the snap chatters.

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You and the wife sound like excellent parents, good work.