I love the word relaxation. The way it rolls out. The use of the sound x makes. Phonetically it looks interesting , [ree-lak-sey-shuh n]. If you don’t know what relaxation means check out the definition. While I truly love the word, I truly love the activity of relaxing even more. Why you ask? Simple answer: baby.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the little guy, but sometimes it would be nice to simply relax. I learned to accept I won’t ever truly relax the way I did prior to Little A. So I decided to compile a list of relaxing activities us dad’s can do, while still being dads.
1) Sports on TV. Yes, did you know that you can actually watch baseball, hockey, football on TV and still be a good dad? Case in point, watch it with your kids. Engage them in it. I spoke about this in an earlier post so I won’t rehash too much here.
2) Go for a walk. Did you know that walking is probably one of the best forms of physical activity? Keeps everything working appropriately according to what I’ve read. Not to mention this is a great time for you to bond with your kid. Put the little one in the stroller and well, go for a stroll. There’s a good chance they may actually fall asleep. If they don’t, perfect time to chat them up and let them look around and explore the world. You will be surprised just how relaxing this can be for you.
3) Read….to your kid. Yes, reading is a hobby for many people. If you are already a reader, pick up a children’s book and read to them. They relax, you relax, and you are actually teaching them. I think we would all agree reading is essential regardless of what we do in life. Why not start them early.
Now of course, there are other activities you can do to relax that don’t involve junior, (a good shot of wine before bed for instance. I digress.), but isn’t it good to know you can still relax and be with your kids?
I will leave it at three for now. More to come. If anyone has any activities to share, let me know!
The Dad In Me 
Our local library has reading clubs for toddlers, grade school kids, teenagers, and adults. There are prizes for number of books read for the older kids and minutes read to for the toddlers and babies.
A coworker was talking about his local library the other day, specifically about DVD rentals. Made him question his monthly subscription to Netflix. I think in our digital age we forget about some of the less technological resources out there. Case in point, our local libraries.
Thanks for the comment and for reading!
I am always a fan of cooking with jr. Prop him up on the counter or a chair and let him smell all of the spices and I will describe what we are doing, and he helps where he can. (Though, normally I will still have that glass of wine on hand too.)
Ironic you mention cooking. Today the wife and I baked some holiday cookies with the little guy observing. Of course his toy turtle quickly took his attention.
Thanks for reading!
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