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If you were like me as a child, you had trouble paying attention in school. I have ADHD through the roof and an attention span shorter than the time it takes to cook a waffle (I make that comparison because our 2-year old required a bowl of syrup with waffles for her breakfast this morning). Back to the point, the struggle to focus in school was real, which meant getting excited to go to school was even more difficult. At that time, the two greatest school days of the year were: that sweet half Wednesday you got before Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas break. Other than that, I was stuck in a classroom with nothing to focus on but Pizza Hutt “Book It Posters” or Pete Rose holding up a book and telling me to not gamble, ahem, read. All of this changed in 2nd grade when I was introduced to the ultimate best day of school (and no, it wasn’t the day I got my first kiss behind the coat closet in Mrs. McKnight’s class; that came years later). This was the day when my school life changed forever: Field Trip Day. Growing up on the East Coast it was either a Civil War Memorial Site or Washington D.C. (the end-all of school trips). It really didn’t matter where we were heading. I just loved the feeling of getting outside of that classroom for more than a 10-minute recess.
As I find myself unemployed, my current full-time gig is watching a 5 and 2 year-old. I thought a great way to be a dad is to force the kids to do something I love (that’s what parents do). I also thought the change of scenery would do everyone some good—just as it did for me back in my elementary school years. I challenge you to take some adventures with your kiddos and see if it can work wonders for you, too. Here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way.
1. Choose your location.
a. Water
b. Mountains
c. Flatlands.
d. City
2. Choose your adventure.
a. Museum
b. Hike
c. Tallest Building
d. Historic Landmark.
3. Choose your day (and try your best to stick with it). We’ve made Friday our day, and we call it Field Trip Friday (clever, I know). We talk about it throughout the week and build excitement. Everyone knows what happens on Friday. Plus, my wife is extremely thankful I’ve planned something and stuck with it, so bonus points come my way.
4. Choose your budget. We’re not looking to go on extravagant Disney Vacations; we’re talking about day-trips to museums or places where the only thing you pay for is parking.
5. Make it special. Do your own research so you have something to talk about with them when you get there…remember dad’s, here’s your opportunity to look smart in front of your kiddos (and it doesn’t take much). The little ones could care less about the deal you closed or the meeting you conducted; they’re more interested in how many “roly-polies” they can find, so keep the business talk (and your cell phone) out of Field Trip Friday.
6. Learn something new from your child/children and yourself. No I’m not being corny. This is where I take the opportunity to listen to the kids about what they love and enjoy. I can try and focus on those items as the week goes on. For example, my 5-year-old loves to draw, so during the week we’ll draw family pictures of us on the adventure we tool on Field Trip Friday. Easy stuff.
7. Take photos. They’re not for the gram but for the yearly family photo album you’ll make (more on that in another blog).
8. Reward them when it’s over. We’re able to pull $3.00 together to get donuts beforehand. Or if I need extra motivation for them to finish the trip with a smile, I tell them that we’ll get donuts afterwards (if you don’t like rewarding your children with food, well then you’re a perfect parent and I don’t know what to tell you).
9. Give yourself grace, especially if one of the little angels, is still in diapers. Repeat it with me: “I will lower my expectations.”
Remember, you control the tone of the day. If you want the kiddos to conquer Troy (think of yourself as Brad Pitt for a moment), you must get them ready. The more positive you are, the more positive they will be. And, if you need motivation, Herb Brook’s Miracle Speech is my top pump-up speech recommendation). Take a break from your everyday life and go discover something with your family. You’ll be amazed at how you can grow as a father. That’s been my experience.
Vaya Con Dios