It
would be wonderful if every time I plan an event for my family that it goes
perfectly and everyone has a great time.
However, if I can be honest, there are a lot of times when something my
wife and I think will be a great experience for our kids and us as a family is
met with “ho hum.”
Maybe
it’s the nature of kids “these days.” If
it’s not online or electronic, it’s not of interest for more than a few
minutes.
Maybe
it’s that we as parents look back to our childhood with nostalgia and choose
activities that are more interesting to us than they are to our kids.
Maybe
it’s that the kids do actually have an okay time, but in the footsteps of Clark
Grizwold (Chevy Chase) we set up expectations that no family outing can live up
to.
Whatever
the reason, sometimes camping trips, days at the theme park, athletic
competitions, or trips to the symphony do not generate the same level of
excitement and enthusiasm for all. We
may even have to fall back on that time-tested parental standby phrase, “This
is a character building experience.” My
parents used that one on me several times, especially when attending classical
music concerts.
And
yet, time spent together never seems a waste, at least not to me.
My
wife and I took our kids on a 3-hour trip up to Kansas City this past weekend
for the annual Fall Renaissance Festival.
I enjoyed this event very much as a freshman in high school, in
particular because I was interested in medieval history, swords, armor,
dragons, and cute girls who roam around plentifully at such events. I figured my boys and little girl would also
find amusement in the music, food, costumes, human-powered rides like the
dragon boat and a merry-go-round. For a
time, they did. But I could tell as the
day went on and the crowds got thicker and the sun grew hotter, the kids’
interest was wearing thin. By the time
the 3 o’clock afternoon joust rolled around, they were ready to leave. We managed some cheering for our heroic
knight as he galloped across the field to bust a lance on his opponent’s
shield, but I think most of the cheering was because kids simply enjoy yelling
at the top of their lungs without being shushed by their parents.
So
it wasn’t a bad trip, but it wasn’t a great trip either. It was decidedly “average.” We spent six hours in the car and some pretty
decent money and left with the feeling they’d just as soon have stayed home and
played Nintendo.
I
may be looking through this with a bad perspective. In years to come, perhaps I’ll hear them talk
about, “that time we saw all the people dressed up funny,” “shooting archery
targets,” and “gnawing on a smoked turkey leg like barbarians.” But for now, I have to trust that my wife and
I gave it our best effort, and it didn’t result in the dazzling cheers and
excitement a 10-minute drive to the Incredible Pizza restaurant and game center
would have. Sometime family events end
up that way: and that’s okay. We’re learning
what our kids like, what they dislike, and through it all we spend time with
each other.
I
think my parents were wise and ultimately right to drag me along to the
symphony. Learning how to participate in
an event, as a family, builds character after all, in both parents and kids.
Sid Whiting is the father of three and the husband of one. He lives with his wife Gail and their children in Springfield, Missouri. He also enjoys real estate investing, serving in the 135th Army Band as a percussionist and bass guitarist, and plays in the Praise Band "Soul Purpose" and the "Hallelujah Bells" hand bell choir. He can be reached for comment or question at sid.whiting75@gmail.com or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WiseSteward).
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