The Fun Things Dads Do with their Kids -- by Jeff Sippy, a Dad-in-Training

I love being a Dad and I love doing things with my boys – from carving pumpkins at Halloween to carving out time for their events.  Whatever my boys have wanted to do, well, within reason I was happy to do it with them.  

There was the time the boys wanted to bleach their hair and I said, “Sure, what could it hurt?”  If you are a young Dad please make a note:  Doing what your kids wants is not always what your wife wants.      

The hair product I purchased had a label that read, “Extreme Bleach.”   The package called for a pinch of product and about 10 minutes.  I think we used a handful of product and about thirty minutes.    

It wasn’t pretty.  The boys threw me under the bus.  “Dad made us do it!”  “What have you done?”  My wife shrieked.  I wanted to tell her, “It wasn’t all my idea!”  But I didn’t.

Then there was the time they wanted to take up boxing.  I boxed in high school.  So I said, ““Sure, what could it hurt?”  If you are a young Dad please make a note:  If your kids get hurt your wife is going to hurt you! 

We bought some used gloves at Play It Again Sports.  They laced them up, the fists started flying, and boys started falling.  My oldest son decked my middle son.  My middle son decked my youngest son.  They were still dazed and crying when my wife got home.  They threw me under the bus.  “Dad bought us boxing gloves.”  What have you done,” my wife shrieked.  I wanted to tell her “It wasn’t all my idea?”  But I didn’t. 

Here’s the bottom line:  We are Dads.  This is the greatest thing in the world.  Do things with your kids.  It doesn’t matter what it is so long as you do it together.

I asked my wife “What are the five coolest things I’ve done with the boys?”  She didn’t say bleaching their hair or teaching them to box.  That surprised me.  But she did say, “The annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Eve; learning to play Hockey with them and allowing them to teach you to skate; taking them to climb the 14,000 foot mountains in Colorado; taking them on hospital and home visits with me; and going to all their events whatever they were and wherever they were.”

I love being a Dad and I love doing stuff with my kids.  I want you to love being a Dad, too, and I want you to love doing things with your kinds whatever it is.  Create your own list. Ask them what they like to do. It doesn’t matter what it is so long as you are doing it together. 

I am proud of you.  You are a Good Dad.  If I can help in any way I would love to do it together.  

Jeff Sippy, a Dad-In-Training, is the father of three young men and the husband of Cindy. He enjoys sailing every chance that he gets. He is the senior pastor at Redeemer Lutheran in Springfield, MO and can be reached for question or comment at jsippy@rlcmail.org