Adventures in Parenting

I read in a magazine that a dad and his son took the slow way to relocate from Massachusetts to California for a job change. They took a 3-week road trip across the country, and stopped for as many baseball games as they can along the way.

When my son was young, my husband went with him to numerous weekend camping trips with the Boy Scouts. Four years ago, they hiked Mt. Whitney with some friends. My husband was limping for a week after that! Other than some aches and pains, it was a great experience for the both of them.

Men tend to build relationship by doing things together whereas women build relationship by talking together. So it is important to have some activities that dads can do with their sons in order that their relationship can be strengthened. It also allows time for communication which may not naturally happen at home. Men usually take a little longer time to warm up to conversation. So an extended amount of time such as a fishing trip, or a day on the golf course gives the men a chance to talk a little along the way.

You don’t have to have an agenda when you do something together. Simply enjoying an activity is enough to create positive memories.

Let me tell you, my husband would not have chosen to go roughing it in the mountains if it wasn’t for my son. He grew up mostly with indoor activities like going to the library! It was quite out of his comfort zone when he started camping. But it proved to be something they both enjoyed. I encourage you dads to explore with your son. It’s never too late to start a new hobby. And what a better way than to do it together with your son.