Are You Ready For Some Football? Dad Is

By Bonnie Owens on September 10th, 2009

As a mom, I tend to do overkill on bonding with my kids. I look up crafts, take them to special events and overall spend a lot of time and money on anything that I think will support bonding. But dads tend to know better. They know that it doesn’t take a lot of planning and money to make your kids feel special. They swing them by their arms in the backyard, throw them in the air as high as they can and toss the ol’ ball around. This weekend brings a new season of opportunity for father-child bonding; that right the time honored ritual of watching football.

Now I am not talking about Dad laying on the couch while brother and sister sit across the room fidgeting. I am talking about Dad sitting on the couch with a chips and dip in front of him and an arm around each kid giving them the play by play on the screen. This sort of experience is indispensable for a kids self esteem for several reasons.

It creates a designated time for them to spend time with their dad. This makes them feel special because he is all theirs for 2-3 hours. It is important for dads to interact and truly get into the game with their kids, otherwise they may feel like this time is for football not for them.
It creates a common interest. Most kids, especially boys, are going to be into what dad is into. So this gives them a chance to cultivate that interest and learn more about it from their favorite guy.
It opens the lines of communication. Once the conversation is flowing about the game, it is bound to delve into other areas of your child’s life. And this gives them a no-pressure, friendly atmosphere to express things that are on their mind.
It opens the door to other bonding experiences. Many dads have some kind of football experience of their own, even if it is playing in the field with the neighborhood kids when he was young. He will no doubt take this opportunity to reminisce to his kids about the time he threw that Hail Mary and scored the winning touchdown. This is great for two reasons. It helps kids realize their dad was once a kid just like them and it encourages interaction. Once Dad starts talking about the glory days it will mostly likely lead to him throwing a few passes to the kids on the front lawn.
It creates lasting memories. Contrary to some of my bonding ideas, like Disneyland passes; this creates memories of being with Dad rather than getting your picture taken with Mickey. When there is so much going on, kids can forget you in all of the glitz and glamour. Their memory of your Disney trip years down the road may be of the time they threw up on Space Mountain rather than the family bonding they experienced. In contrast, it will be hard for them to forget cheering with Dad when their team clinched the victory in the final seconds of the game.