avatarTim Maudlin

Summary

A father cherishes spending quality time with his son through shared experiences, such as playing Pokémon GO, despite not fully understanding the game, emphasizing the importance of enjoying time with children.

Abstract

The author reflects on the valuable time spent with his son, Andrew, as they bonded over Pokémon GO. Despite the author's lack of understanding of the game's intricacies, he embraces the activity to connect with his son. The article highlights the joy and significance of engaging in children's interests, even if they are unfamiliar, and the lasting memories created from such experiences. The father's willingness to participate in his son's hobbies leads to a memorable day that both treasure, underscoring the message that the time invested in children's lives is invaluable, especially as they grow up quickly.

Opinions

  • The author believes in the importance of being present in children's lives and engaging in their interests, regardless of personal understanding or enjoyment of the activity.
  • He values the creation of shared memories with his children, considering it a gift.
  • The author sees historical landmarks as part of the Pokémon GO experience, which adds educational value to the game.
  • He fondly recalls the time spent with his son, indicating that these moments are precious and irreplaceable, especially as children mature and become more independent.
  • The author suggests that readers should also prioritize spending time with their children, emphasizing that such moments are a "Daily Doable" and can have a lasting impact.

PARENTING | POKEMON | LIFE LESSONS

Enjoy Spending Time With Your Kids

Even if it’s doing something you don’t understand

Pokémon image by Succo via Pixabay. Photo of Andrew by me.

Becoming a parent later in life, I knew from talking with friends to enjoy every minute I had with my boys. My wife, Mary Beth, and I made sure we did a lot together as a family. I’m so glad we did.

As the boys got older and explored different interests, Mary Beth would take one son to his activity and I would take the other to his.

For a while, my son Andrew was into Pokémon GO. He loved to hunt these imaginary creatures. I didn’t understand the nuances of the game and it didn’t matter. I was happy to spend time with him.

The pictures below show how serious he was. He even brought his scooter to get to the next hot spot quicker. I had to hoof it to keep up.

My serious Pokemon hunter. Photos by me.

During one of our expeditions, I got Andrew to pause long enough to explain what in the world we were hunting. As you can tell, I still don’t get it!

Our conversation went like this:

Andrew: My name is Andrew and I’m a Pokémon player and I own this gym. Which is good. My Dad is playing with me. He’s the camera man. And he’s got incense on. He’s kind of new to the game. I’m just trying to teach him the ropes.

Me: So Andrew you’re on a caboose. Why are you calling it a gym?

Andrew: Because mostly gyms are historical landmarks and they’re Pokey Stops. So, that’s why it’s now a gym.

Me: This is a gym.

Andrew: Yep. It doesn’t look like a gym.

Me: And my incense is about to wear off. So am I going to start stinking after that?

Andrew: You could or you could put on another one.

Me: I could put on some more. Is that like deodorant for Pokémon?

Andrew: Let’s go with yes.

Me: Okay. Well, we’re going to continue our hunt. Talk to you guys later.

Andrew: Bye!

Later that night before he went to bed, Andrew told Mary Beth, “I had the BEST time.” I did too Andrew and I’ll never forget it.

Andrew is 15 now, 6'-2" and a sophomore in High School. Oh, and he’ll be driving soon. Where has the time gone?

Photo by me.

Here’s the video. I’m glad I have this recording to make me smile. It’s also fun to show Andrew is voice wasn’t always lower than mine 😃

Daily Doable: Spend time with your kids. Even if it’s something you don’t understand. Enjoy the gift of time you have with them. #DoWhatYouCanNow

If you enjoyed this Inspire Point and Daily Doable, may I suggest this story about drawing? No artistic skills are necessary. Trust me.

Before I go, I want to tag a few of my writer friends. Or as I call them, my CAPITAL Acquaintances. Discover great stories from these individuals. Henery X (long), Amy Marley, Michele Thill, Trapper Sherwood, Nomanono Isaacs, Timothy Key, Linda Halladay, Joan Kent, PhD, Candy L Hill, Jacquelyn Lynn, Dr Michael Heng, JeffHerring.com, Karen Madej, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Amy Hartsough

Thank you for joining me today. Please allow me to introduce myself below.

For more stories like this, visit my site DoWhatYouCanNow.com Also, connect with me here: Twitter — Facebook — Instagram — LinkedIn

Graphic by Tim Maudlin
Parenting
Pokémon Go
Life Lessons
Self
Storytelling
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