Go ahead, wiggle your way into their worlds - ask them to teach you how to play Yu-Gi-Oh, have an all-out, all-family Wii battle, learn to play Super Mario Smash, watch them play LOTRO for a while (or get your own account), put on a pair of roller blades, read a long book aloud together (and then another!) We just finished this, and now we are on to this. This is next.
Get into something they love. Kids' interests are often marginalized by adults as silly. It's relationship-building to forge some common interests and participate together.
Dennis and the boys bond through hockey, scouts and online gaming.
The shared interest is genuine and makes them all excited. I need to be more deliberate, because I can get swept up in the tasks of the day. Putting on a movie for them is not the same as watching a movie with them (I can still fold laundry and watch!). We watched Ponyo the other day and it gave us lots of chances for ongoing conversation. Origami, bird watching, or hiking - it really doesn't matter - it's the "with" that counts.
Tell me what you are doing *WITH* your kids this summer. How about a project like this?
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