The Best Way To Spend A Weekend With One Of My Kids
One of my favorite parts of being a parent is getting one-on-one time with each of our kids. We try to make this a priority for different times throughout the week and we also look for opportunities for extended one-on-one time. I’ve written a few times in the past on this blog about our extended time away (One Investment in Your Child You'll Never Forget and The Most Important Weekend in Your Child's Life (So Far)), and I recently got to experience another weekend with one of our twins.
I don’t know how we started this tradition, but I’ve made it a practice of taking away my boys for the weekend on two separate occasions:
When they start kindergarten
When they hit puberty
Both of these mark seasons of significant transition. When our kids transition from home life/preschool to school, it begins a journey they will be on for the next (at least) 13 years of their lives. No longer does life revolve around playing Lego’s, following mom around wherever she goes and mid-day napping. Now life includes recess, language arts, and many meals in the cafeteria.
When our kids transition from pre-pubescent elementary school to middle school adolescence, everything changes. They become attracted to others of the opposite sex and their bodies begin to change. They suddenly become aware of how they dress, their body odor and what their hair looks like. If there’s ever a season of confusion, change and excitement, this is it!
To help navigate these seasons, we decided as a couple that I would take the boys away for some time to commemorate the transition, to have some deeper conversations and to make some memories and have fun.
These trips in no way replace the daily investments you make in your kids, but do provide extended time away from the usual routine, from other commitments and from other people. We love the routine and the other people, but sometimes we just need to get away. Just like I (and many others) recommend time for married couples to get away from their kids (4 Reasons Why You and Your Spouse Need to Get Away), we also believe it’s important to get some time away with your kids.
This past weekend, Duncan and I went to Atlanta, visited the College Football Hall of Fame, and went to an Auburn University football game (WDE!). In the middle of all the fun times, we got to have some candid conversations about sex, puberty, pornography and much more. We ate some good meals and made unforgettable memories.
His small group leaders and some of the dads of his friends made short videos to encourage him. We got to watch those videos together and had the chance to celebrate the gifts others see in him. We also had the chance to talk through some of the potential pitfalls he might face (things like porn, people-pleasing and seeking the approval of man).
Parents: Find a way to get this kind of time away with your kids. You don’t need to fly anywhere. Get a hotel through Priceline and create some time and space away from your normal distractions. Neither Kristen nor I have ever regretted extended time away with our kids. This is an investment you won’t want to miss!
Your Turn:
What’s something you can do with you your child to create some memories and commemorate some of the big milestones in their lives?