When is the right time to talk with your teenage son or daughter about important issues?
This week, my wife is up North for the entire week with our 8th grade son at Boy Scout Camp. Yes, she is in living in a tent during a heat wave. Unfortunately, tents do not have air conditioning. The rest of us are hanging out together at home. We have 4 sons of which 3 are teenagers. Two of the boys are in high school and two are in middle school.
When I’m not on the road speaking, I’m often working out of my home office. This week, I am home after returning from speaking in the Northern most tip of Greenland last week (literally at the Polar Ice Cap). Two of my sons are at a friend’s house today. Thus, one of my sons and I are home with the house just to the two of us.
What do you do? Do you jump on this opportunity to have in-depth conversations? What do you think I did? Each chance I’ve had to take a break away from my work today, I’ve taken that moment to play my son in Ping Pong. Yes, 2 people hitting a little ball back and forth…with many a funny bounce along the way. We both enjoy the game and the competition. We always end up with at least a few laughs. Plus, we appreciate giving each other a hard time in the best of ways.
We will have many more days ahead for those “other” conversations (as we have in the past). The reality is the conversations we are having today by just hanging out and laughing are equally important. They too come from a foundation of love and caring for each other. Here is to taking 5 minute breaks for HAVING FUN with your son or daughter!