Family Activities for the Holidays
During the holidays kids are typically home and out of school and families gather for various celebrations. This year may be a little different, but the current circumstances should not stop dads from planning fun activities with their kids. For example, the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to explore your family history with your kids and to create new memories for future generations. This blog provides suggestions for sharing your family history through storytelling and other ideas.  Another great idea is to introduce letter writing to your children. December 7 is designated as National Letter Writing Day so take the time to teach your kids the lost art of writing letters by hand. Letter writing has been in decline because of smartphones, the Internet and before that, the telephone. In the spirit of giving, you might want to write letters to our military sending messages of appreciation and support. Or maybe you and your child would like to reconnect with an old friend or distant family member or express something to a sports hero or political figure you look up to. The United States Postal Service and educational publisher Scholastic have teamed up to promote letter writing as a critical English language skill for U.S. schoolchildren; their website includes templates and lessons on letter writing. These are all great projects for dads and kids to do together.  Finally, this blog entry provides some Father-Child Activities While the Kids are at home.
 
Choosing Safe Toys and Gifts
If you plan to buy gifts for your kids this holiday season like many parents do, we want to help you to make the safest and most age appropriate selections. December is also Safe Toys and Gifts Month. Making sure toys are age appropriate and safe can help you avoid returns and even trips to the emergency room this holiday season. Be especially mindful about choosing toys when you have children of different ages at home. For example, many toys for older children have small parts which can be choking hazards for infants and toddlers. The American Public Health Association has guidelines for choosing safe toys for all ages. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also publishes recalled toys. Dads should consider signing up for their emails to get recall notifications, or using the search function on the website to look up specific toys.
 
Not sure what toys are age appropriate? The National Association for the Education of Young Children has compiled a list of “Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage” (up to the age of 6) that matches toys and activities to a child’s stages of development and emerging abilities.
 
If you are gifting your child a tablet or a smartphone it’s more than likely that they’ll be downloading a number of apps to make the best use of their new gadget. With over 1.6 million apps available to download from the Android and Apps stores, and at least 1,000 apps added each day, there is so much choice; it can be difficult to keep up with which ones are safe and beneficial for your child. This website helps dads navigate the world of digital games and materials and provides appropriate choices for every age group.
 
Just remember, no toy or app can replace spending quality time with your children. During the holidays, one of the greatest gifts you can give is spending time with your child, whether in person or virtually. And quality time does not cost anything! So, get outside, throw around a ball, go for a hike, and simply enjoy spending time together. Also, look for volunteer opportunities you can do with your child. Giving, including providing service to others, is really what the holidays are all about.
 
The holiday season can bring pressure and stress as well sometimes. Navigating co-parenting relationships with a former spouse or partner can be a major one. Here are a few co-parenting suggestions that can reduce stress--particularly for children--during the holidays.
 
During the upcoming festivities, it also is critical to remember that December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month because “drunk driving” accidents increase as a result of all the events and celebrations that happen in December. Although we may not be attending as many events this year, we should still be mindful of the dangers of drinking and driving and be sure that you are not intoxicated around or while caring for your children.  If you drink at home or at a small gathering with family, do not drive. Celebrate responsibly!
 
All in all, the holidays are a great time to connect with your kids and to engage in activities that help you to strengthen your family bonds and traditions. The most important thing to remember is that time spent together is quality time, regardless of what you do. Your presence is the best present you can give. Have a safe and happy holiday!