Being a good father doesn’t just mean spending a bunch of money on your children or making the child support payments on time. One of the best things you can do as a father is to spend time with your child (or children) and show them that you love them and enjoy spending time with them.

Here are 10 things you can do with your kids that don’t require money but will be worth more than gold to you and your kids.

1.     Take your kids to the park.  All kids love to run around, play on the swings or climb the monkey bars.  An hour at the park doing these things with your kids is a lot of fun for them as well as a little exercise for you.  When you get tired, sit on a bench with them and talk.  You will be amazed at the great conversations you will have.

2.     Take your children to school (or pick them up).  Your wife or the school bus doesn’t have to take your kids to school every day.  On some days (or all the time) offer to walk or drive your kids o school.  The time in the car or walking the route is a great time to find out what’s going on in their daily lives, develop an understanding of how they feel and to bond.

3.     Cook a meal with your kids.  You have to eat and somebody has to cook.  If you are a single parent you have no choice but to cook.  If you’re married, have your wife take a break and you do the cooking.  Either way, have your kids join you.  You can make a big deal out of it “Cooking night with daddy” or you can simply ask your kids to help you with the meal.  Either way the kids will enjoy it.  Children generally like to be helpful and cooking together can be fun and rewarding.  You are teaching them a new skill and you will both get the satisfaction of eating something you prepared together.

4.     Shoot some hoops.  Okay, maybe you’re not Michael Jordan but you don’t have to be.  Maybe its not basketball, but instead you have a future NFL quarterback on your hands.  Whatever the sport is, doing it with your kids will be fun for them (and again good exercise for you).  Bonding around sports is one of the best ways for fathers and sons to find common ground.  And playing sports with them early will lead to watching the game later in life when you’re ball playing days are long behind you.

5.     Watch your child’s favorite TV show.  When your kids have their favorite cartoon on don’t just leave the room every time.  Surprise them once in a while by staying and asking them about their show.  9 times out of 10 a child will tell you everything in the world there is to know about Pokemon (or whatever the show may be) and your interest in their likes will mean the world to them.  Showing that you care about what they care about will definitely bring you closer and who knows you may even like the show!

The one thing that all 5 of these suggestions have in common is spending time with your children – listening and communicating while you do fairly normal activities.  Kids want to know you care and they get that when you spend a little time with them, irrespective of what you’re doing.  You will be amazed at what kids remember about their childhood when they grow up.  The GI Joe at age 6 will quickly fade from memory but those walks and talks on the way to school will be remembered for a lifetime.

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