I am always looking for fun and innovative ways to connect with my sons. As they are getting older and more independent, I am so grateful we have family traditions that encourage bonding and one-on-one time.
The creative side of me loves a good theme, catchphrase, or alliteration. I especially like making ordinary things seem special. Here are a few ways my husband and I connect with our sons.
Dude’s Dates
Being the parents of identical twin boys and having no other children, we did everything as a family of four. Truthfully, it took us a long time to realize that our boys were never without one another. As the boys got older, we started Dude’s Dates.
A Dude’s Date is when one child and one parent hang out. Sometimes it was going to the park together or grabbing a smoothie. Other times it was staying home and watching a movie or eating ice cream in bed. The boys love when we surprise them on a Saturday with a Dude’s Date. They also enjoy knowing about it in advance and planning every detail.
Walk-and-Talk
We started Walk-and-Talks when the boys turned five years old, and we still find great joy in them. I would take one child, and we would go for a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood. It wasn’t about how fast we walked, and there was never a final destination. The Walk-and-Talks were to allow my preschooler to feel in control and important. For me, the Walk-and-Talk was to connect with him on a deeper level.

Silly Sunday
What started on a Sunday now happens any day that needs a change-up. Silly Sunday is taking any normal activity and making it silly. That could be changing the location like reading outside or eating a snack in the bathtub. Silly could also mean doing an activity in a costume, a fort, or in the dark. Silly Sunday reinvents the mundane and sparks creativity in kids. This past year, our favorite Silly Sunday has been getting take out and eating in the back of our SUV. My boys call it a “picnic in the trunk.”
Take a simple everyday activity and make it special or different. Give the activity a fun name or shake it up a little by adding an unexpected twist.
These are a few things my family does to deepen the relationships with our children. I encourage you to find something that works for your family. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive.