There are so many things that kids desire today. One of the most frustrating things for me happens when I sit down to watch television with my boys. Some new toy gets advertised, and one of them reacts with a hearty "Oh man, that is so cool. I want that!"
The crazy thing is that even if you were to buy them whatever the newest, coolest toys are, they won't be happy for long because the next time they go to school somebody else has something even better.
There is something that your kids want that is even more valuable, and important than anything you could buy for them: your time. The toys you buy are only going to be remembered for a short period of time. What you give them by spending time with them will be remembered forever. We need to make this a priority.
For a lot of fathers, their time is harder to give. They would rather ___ (you fill in the blank). And there are times that to be a better parent/husband you should go do those things that you enjoy. But we also need to remember that the time we have with our kids goes quickly. Before we know it, they won't want to hang out with us anymore. They would rather hang out with their friends or ___ (you fill in the blank).
Take your kids out for lunch. Do something they want to do. Just listen to them talk about their day. This will let them know that they are important to you. That you love them. That you want to be a part of their lives. It will mean a lot to them, especially as they get older. They'll learn that they can come to you to ask questions. To help them when they have a problem. And it will help them when they become parents.
