Acting like a kid to be a great parent

Today was one of those days that I absolutely love as a parent - a day to be a kid again and break the rules with your own kids. Some of the best moments I remember with my parents as I was growing up were those special days when my parents would not just allow me to break the rules, but when they were the instigators of breaking the rules. I remember one particular day when I was about 10 and my parents had just bought a new IBM PCjr, remember that computer? They had allowed me to pick out a game for the computer and I had picked "wizardry" because I was quite the Dungeons and Dragons fan...admit it, you liked it too.

The next day, I wanted to stay home soo bad and play the game so I pretended that I was sick, you know, held the thermometer up to the desk lamp and then put your face up against it so it would be nice and warm when you mother did the "old forehead test". They knew I wasn't sick but they let me stay home that day and I played that game all day long...loved every second of it too.

Well, today was once of those days for me with my kids. Spiderman 3 came out today and I let me kids stay home from school so we could hit the first showing. You should have seen the smiles on their faces, the disbelief that their very own dad was breaking the rules just for them. Seeing those smiles is one of the great rewards of being a parent and I think all too often, we forget how quickly the years of being a kid fly by. We worry constantly about our kids getting better at academics, sports, manners, housework and on and on....so much so that it puts a great deal of stress on us and then it perpetuates itself.

So here is a challenge to all of you parents out there! Find something you can do with your kids and break the rules with them - make a special moment for them. In the end, the memories of all the special times is what will matter most, make as many of them as possible!

Dave