I believe in a good education and the value of school.
And I also believe in the value of hard work.
But I believe in the importance of our relationships more.
On occasion, we need to break the normal routine so that we can really remember what’s most important. Work and school can easily dictate our schedule forever if we let them. I refuse to let this happen in my family. So, two to three days per year, each of my kids will miss school and I’ll miss work to have a Board Meeting.
This makes perfect attendance loyalists and workaholics want to throw up. They are usually the first ones to say to me, “What kind of example are you setting?!”
This is something I’ve thought on a lot. I believe the example I’m setting is this:
When my kids grow up, they will have a habit in- stilled within them to play hooky from work and school every 90 days to spend time with their most important relationships—without remorse and without guilt. It will also prove to their own children that they can (and will) put their relationship ahead of their work.
Missing two days of school per year is a small price to pay for real connection between parent and child.
Again, we want to let creation come from your son or daughter for buy-in and to avoid pushing our own “agenda,” which happens more times than we like to admit. But here are a few guidelines.
Almost all Board Meetings include a meal of some sort—there’s a simple connection to breaking bread together that’s easy and natural. (Just like the activity of the day, I also let my sons or daughter choose the restaurant.)
Some Board Meeting activities we’ve had are: Climbing the lighthouse, walking the beach, hiking, museums, cooking class, football games, baseball games,
sporting events, live music, play or performance, horse- back riding, go cart racing, pedicure/manicure, roller blading, biking, Pokémon class, at-home fashion show, trampoline world, rock climbing, shopping, water parks, boating, helicopter rides, zoo/animal preserve, basket- ball, yoga class, ice skating, golf/driving range, miniature golf, art class, photography class, robotics class, comedy show, ghost tours, planetarium, Segway tour, fishing, story hour, playing in the park, and laser tag.
Honestly, if you walked the same hike every time and then had a meal together, I believe the potency would still be there. Always remember that it’s the quality time that matters most.
For some, this piece feels uncomfortable, but it’s important. It’s what ties it all together and gets you below the surface. If it makes you uneasy, don’t worry. The objective is simply to provide the encouragement and space to talk. It’s not complicated.