The boys are all grown and have their own lives now, but when I look back at some of the best times I had with my children, one simple activity stands out. How low could I go.
When you are a child, everything you do is way above, and you live in a land of giants. Having to reach up, be picked up or climb to engage with adults is your reality. Now comes the fun part. As a dad just let yourself get low.
Turn off the T.V. Put up the tech. And get down on the floor.
Instantly you have become an equal to your child. Now all things are possible for that youngster: Their superpowers have expanded exponentially. They can wrestle and never lose a ten count, tickle and be tickled, lifted in the air like superman, helplessly bound with no chance to escape but always find a way, be rolled over by imaginary steam-roller and survive, ride like a cowboy on your back and get thrown off, arm wrestle the strongest man alive and come out a winner. You can get out their toys and dive into their imaginary world of dolls, Legos, etc.
One of my boys’ favorites was pretending I was a large tree, and they would saw me down, always falling on them. Or you can simply pass the ball back and forth between extended legs and maybe read a book together till bedtime. The fun never ends at this altitude.
What’s really happening is this: You are creating memories for that youngster about how cool their dad is. And those memories last forever. They will be repeated with their children for generations to come. Life gets busy, and there’s always a lot to do at home in the evenings, but if you ask a child, “Would you rather have new toys, or a dad who is down on the floor playing?” they go for the dad gig every time.
Take note there is some danger to this. Having three active boys (two of them close in age), I had to tackle both at once, and they can gang up. Once the younger one did a high-dive off the couch and cracked my rib. I still remind him thirty some years later about that. He says, “Thanks for the memories, Dad, no matter how painful they were for you.”
My wife had a dad like this, too, and she still talks about the wonderful times playing on the floor with him and her brother. You might be tempted to say I’ll take time to do that later. But there is no time like the present to enjoy being an equal to your child. And they will love you forever for it.
Sincerely,
A dad who loved being a dad
