“[By taking these trips] You’ll get to know your child in a new way,” says Christine Carter, Ph.D., director of the Greater Good Science Center’s parenting program at the University of California at Berkeley. Your kids are continually changing, be it their best friend, favorite TV show, or most enjoyable outdoor activity. Amidst all of this change, Men’s Health Magazine suggests one way to find out what ideals your kids hold true and don’t plan on changing. A simple day trip will serve to fortify the father-child bond… forever. Lila Battis has four tips of getting out. First, get in touch with nature! Activities like camping and climbing mountains are goal-oriented, team-centered, and all around enjoyable, offering plenty of one-on-one time. In Spring Hut Adventures Craig and Alex showshoed into a remote wilderness hut where a day’s duties include chopping adequate wood to heat the yurt for a night and collecting snow to melt for drinking water. Second is the educational experience. Learn from your kids; letting them teach you levels the playing field so you are not always the educator. Pursue one of your child’s interests; let them show off their knowledge on the subject. In Fire It Up!, Alex explains his favorite way to start a roaring fire. As a father, you need to step back and resist the urge to have things done the way you know as best. With any luck you just might learn something new (aside from things about your son or daughter). Third, a volunteer vacation is a wonderful way for kids to learn respect for others, become more empathetic and affect what they care about. Both Craig and Alex hold the environment close to their hearts and in Volunteer Adventures they work together to restore a landscape devastated by wildfire. Last but not least comes the road trip. The car trip is an American tradition that allows for plenty of close family talking time. Take a drive, but make sure to plan it with your kids, and let them share the work when on the road. This is a chance to pass on valuable lessons about cars, navigation, and travel in general. Forget about gas prices for a little while and let the odometer roll because a road trip will always turn out as an unforgettable adventure.
