Fatherhood Can Be Fun!

Fatherhood is privilege. It can also be a grind. At times, fatherhood can be rewarding. But rarely when I speak with other fathers do I hear them say that fatherhood is fun. I find this troubling, hence the blogpost. One reason for the lack of fatherhood fun, I think, is that fun is subjective. For example my wife thinks scrolling through FB and Instagram is fun. I do not. For me, golf is fun . . . at least, most of the time. We all have different ideas of what “fun” looks like. So, why aren’t fathers capitalizing on this?

Here’s my advice: Invite your kid (or kids) to participate in something you think is fun. (And, no, I haven’t invited my kids to play golf with me, yet. But I’m planning on it. Also, some things we want to do by ourselves and just for ourselves. I totally get that.) But I have invited my kids to watch movies I think are fun (and funny) to watch, like Clue, Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors (Yes, I like John Candy), Home Alone, all the Rockies and Creed movies, Remember the Titans, etc. I have also invited my kids to watch Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball games with me. It gives me a chance to explain sports and sound intelligent. It also gives me an excuse to sit on the couch for 3-4 hours. Fun fatherhood doesn’t always mean active fatherhood!

I also happen to enjoy going to the bookstore. So, on occasion, I will try to bring the kids with me. Sometimes, they enjoy it and sometimes they don’t. But I always have fun, regardless. In addition, by inviting my kids into some of the things I enjoy doing, they have gotten to know me better, and a few of them have even begun to show a similar appreciation. So, fathers, think about what is fun for you (something that is appropriate for kids, of course!) Likewise, be open to what your child thinks is fun. Remember what it was like to be a kid and jump into their world for a bit. By doing these things, you will be surprised at just how much fun fatherhood can be!