Activities for Daddy and DC time?

[niccig]

DS is in a real Mummy phase. He wants me to do everything. DH knows it's a phase, but we thought he and DS could have special outings/activities that are just for them, without me. I'll get some free time on the weekend too..woo hoo! A friend has Mummy Secret Adventures with her DS#1, and I thought DS could have Daddy Secret Adventures. Only problem is that when we mentioned it to DS, he said he wanted me to come or to stay home with me. Do we just accept this is a phase and go with it, or do we insist on some DH/DS alone time? If they do activities, any suggestions??

Thanks.

[set81616]

We had this problem too. I just insisted DH take him out without me. If I was there he wanted me. We live in an apt with several playgrounds so they would do that. DH started sitting with him and watching Utube videos. I hated at first but it was the only way he would sit with DH. We also did wake-up daddy from the wiggles. (Count 1 2 3 wake up daddy) and then DH would wake up and tickle DS. Now they wrestle a lot on the big bed. It takes time but now DS will choose DH some (esp when he wants to play). It was hard sometimes when they would be playing and I would hear laughter but I knew I needed to stay away and give them time. Also, I made sure DH changed diapers and got him food so he knew DH would take care of him. DS would come to me and with DH right there I would say "Daddy will get you milk, change your diaper, etc"
Other outing ideas,
Museum
Zoo
Mall
Soccer games (any sporting event your not in bleachers so DS can play some)
Maybe get a special toy only Daddy can play with him with (I didn't do this becasue I didn't want DS to think some things are only for boys but it might be a nice treat)
Oh yeah, something else I'm not thrilled with but it works. DH takes DS to Publix and gets a kids cookie from the bakery.
Hope some of this helps
Shannon

[rgavelis]

For my husband's birthday last year, I bought a pack of swim lessons at the YMCA that he could go to with our son. He gets to spend time with the boy and the boy gets to splash around in the pool. Good way to spend some rainy/snowy days. We also are thinking about getting a zoo membership and a membership at the local botanical gardens which has a great kids area with sprinklers and fountains.

[MamaKath]

Depends on DC's age really. My dh takes ds to drive golf balls, swim, to the park, bike riding (on a trailing bike), fishing, and errands. Sometimes they just stay home and do stuff here- he is trying to teach him the names of tools and parts on the car and motorcycle.

[hillview]

I think I'd try to have them go out alone and see how he reacts. If really really hard then maybe try again in a couple of weeks. Ideas:
local park/playground
pet store
Museum (any really but we like the childrens and museum of science and aquarium)
Zoo
Ice cream
Coffee shop (get something yummy)

HTH
/hillary

[lizajane]

my kids ONLY want daddy.

here are some things they enjoy doing together (ages 3 and 5... and 35...)

coffee shop or donut shop on sat am
trips to the hardware store
fixing things in the house- hanging pictures, tightening banister, installing a light fixture, etc etc
park/playground
walks in the neighborhood with or without dogs, walking, riding in the wagon, riding bikes or scooters
playing in the cul-de-sac, bikes, scooters, etc
yard work- raking, moving rocks, planting
re purposing cardboard boxes into houses, dog houses, animal cages
mcdonalds or chick fil a
carpentry- making bird houses or today, rebuilding the sandbox
making elaborate train tracks on the train table

a friend's DH and her DD (age 3) do the home depot kids' project together every sat am

[ellies mom]

DH and DC are movie buddies. Sometimes I join them but usually I go and do my own thing. He also likes taking her to the park. We go bowling as a family but it is easily something they could do on their own.

[ThreeofUs]

DS and DH are true men - the way to their hearts is through their stomachs! (and I'm only slightly kidding....)

That's how my DH woo'ed my DS - with treats. They'd go to a local bake shop, get some yummy things to eat, and take said yummies to a kid-friendly park or some other place DS really enjoys.

Now, it's their thing!

[kristenk]

Saturday mornings, DH and DD go have Daddy/Daughter Breakfast. :bighand: :yay: They've been doing it for well over a year now and some weeks it is the reason I am reasonably sane.

They usually go to Corner Bakery where they each get berry parfaits. The big draw is the cinnamon roll that they share. The folks at Corner Bakery know DH and DD now and know that it makes her day if she can drink her milk out of a "coffee cup" (to go coffee cup with lid, sleeve, and stirrer).

After breakfast, they'll head over to Lowe's or Home Depot if either place is offering a kid's clinic. The link to the Lowe's schedule is www.lowesbuildandgrow.com (http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com). Our HD has a clinic on the first Saturday of the month.

Sometimes they'll go to some of the local nurseries so DH can check out plants. One nursery had a pet cat that DD liked to visit with (sadly, it's out of business). Another nursery has wagons that DD can pull and fish to see.

If I didn't like taking DD to the library so much, I'd let DH do that on Saturday morning.:D Borders used to have a family storytime on Saturday mornings, but I don't think ours does any more. I always pointed that out as an option. Target is always fun for DD - especially if there's no actual shopping that needs to get done.

Honestly, at the beginning, DD didn't really want to go. *I* really wanted to get out of the house by myself and it was a lot easier for DD to leave me at home than it was for me to leave DD. Still, there were tears at times. She always had fun with DH, though. And the cinnamon roll REALLY helped. ;)

[maestramommy]

We go through this in spurts and phases. But it's generally understood that when Dh comes home that's his time with the kids. Generally he takes them outside and they do something. Like he has to do some stuff with the pool, so Dora gets to dip the test strips, "help" him clean the pool with the net on the pole while he is vacuuming. On weekend mornings he makes pancakes so Dora helps him with that. She likes anything that involves manipulating tools, so although she doesn't ask to help me necessarily, she'll jump up to help him. Sometimes they will actually play or read a book together, but generally she is tagging along while he is doing a household task.

[MelissaTC]

Our list is very similar to Liza's. I would also add playing video games, playing board games, putting together difficult puzzles, putting lego sets together, etc..

[niccig]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I'll show them to DH. I didn't know Lowe's had classes for kids. DS loves to make things and wears his tool belt everywhere. We've gone through similar phases before, but this one is more intense. The two of them were going to go hiking today, but we decided to make it a family trip to scout out camping grounds. Maybe tomorrow they can go get ice cream or something and then head to the park. I think they need to do something every week when I'm not in the picture.

[kristenk]

Definitely check out Lowes. DD's first time there, she was given a kid-sized red Lowes work apron and a kid-sized pair of safety goggles (all free). She also gets a patch for each project that she attends. I guess I'm supposed to sew the patches onto her apron, but I haven't done that yet. One word of warning, though. If your Lowes is like ours, it's a candy and cupcake EXTRAVAGANZA. It's really insane. I'm willing to trade some sugar for some quiet at home, though. lol