Don't stop playing

When does a child become a boy, and a boy become a boring ol’ teenager? Most playgrounds seem to be built for children aged 5 – 12, so could it be that 12 is the official cutoff, after which it would be a crime or at least an embarrassment to play there.

Only one way to be taller than dad

Nigel is 13. So when you bring him to a playground, he just stands around sheepishly like a stick (he is quite skinny) and looks all awkward and uncomfortable. You can tell in his eyes, he wants to run around and play catch, climb those ladders and slide down like a slippery snake – just like he used to half a lifetime ago. But he can’t bring himself to. He is self-restrained, subdued, suppressed. His inner child wants to burst forth, but his thirteen-year-old self-conscious brain refuses to let it happen. He looks around and thinks to himself, “What am I doing here?”

That’s when his forty-five-year-old dad runs in, taps him on the shoulder and runs off shouting, “YOU’RE THE CATCHER!!!” He continues to be unmoved, but a somewhat embarrassed grin grows on his face as he waves his arms around in a gesture of disapproval, “You can’t do that! I’m not playing!”

“I don’t care – you’re the catcher!”, I shout back as I run past him again, tapping his other shoulder. I slow to a jog to tempt him into a chase (actually, I’m tired from running back and forth like a maniac) and you know what, he takes the bait! We run around like the crazy father-son pair we are, weaving past small kids on swings and adults standing around staring at their phones. Nowadays, he ALWAYS catches me and I mostly give up trying to catch him back – but it’s super worth the huffing and puffing.

Never stop hanging around the playground. Never stop running with your kids. Make them chase you, scare them like the monster you are. Life is too short to stop having fun, so don’t let the children or yourself ever get too old for that.

If you need to, offer a 50 cent reward if they catch you.