About 6 months ago I was approached by a good friend of mine who wanted me to become part of the "Adventure Princess" program through the YMCA. I initially resisted. Listen, I'm a stay at home dad with two girls and a ten pound dog, did I really need to become part of a group called the Adventure Princess' ?
Thankfully, I put ego aside, and joined the group. What I thought would be an absolute nightmare with Dad's standing around and girls gabbing the entire time became something quite different. See, the program had us do different activities each mont in an effort to keep all involved engaged in the process.
Throughout the year we gathered once a month to keep in touch and do different things such as bowling, roller skating, tubing, a trip to Lake George, and more. I think what impressed me most about our group was the fact that everyone showed up! All Dad's were on deck, and all the girls were present at the different activities. See, I have a different perspective than all of those in my group, as I am home with my girls. When I was joking about these trips being "work" for me, these guys were taking full advantage of the time they had to have one on one face time. These activities in a way made me realize that I am, by far, the luckiest guy on the planet.
The Princess season culminated with a 3 day camping trip to Frost Valley. Picture a wooded area with a bunch of "nature loving" guides and no cell phones. To be honest, it was awesome to completely unplug, but even more awesome to watch the Dad's that have full time jobs completely unplug and just embrace the weekend for what it was. The constant smiles from the girls were refreshing. We played soccer, climbed rock walls, ate really unhealthy food, but most importantly let our girls know that we were there for them. There was even a checklist created for both Dad's and daughter's so we were on a level playing field going into the weekend.
The list consisted of such items as:
- Dad told child he loved her at least once over the weekend
- Dad encouraged child to try something new over the weekend
- Dad spoke to child about the importance of exercise
- Dad spent a minimum of ten hours interacting directly with child
Needless to say, I hit them all, and based on the character of the Dad's in my group, they hit them all too!
I guess the reason for the blog is to let you know that these opportunities only come around once in a while, and we as parents need to take advantage of every opportunity we can to make a difference in the lives of our children. I recently read an article that a friend sent to me that talked about parents spending entirely too much time on their cell phones and checking emails, and not nearly enough time interacting with the one thing that means the most to all of us......our kids! I'm not passing judgement on anyone, just suggesting that when these opportunities arise........GRAB THEM and run with them! What you may see as a slight inconvenience, they will see as a game changer. Kids see, hear and soak up way more than we give them credit for. I know at the end of the day, I want them to look back and say " Yeah, my Dad did some really cool things with me", .........don't you?
Thankfully, my good friend suggested I lead the circle next year, and I gladly accepted the challenge!
SVP-OUT!
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