Moms, I need your help. I need a moment with the kids’ dad. I have a suggestion for him that I’ll keep short enough for him to read during a commercial break. If you could pull up this blog post and put it in front of him, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!
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Hey, man. I know you’re relaxing and watching the game, but I have something to share with you that will help you out with your kids and with the lovely lady who just handed you this article. I’ll keep it quick. Hear me out.
I get it that mom is the primary caregiver of the kids, but they need their dad, too. Plus, moms deserve breaks, and you know what they say about a happy (or unhappy) woman in the home. Give mom a break from time to time, and good things will come your way.
There’s something out there that can help us dads out: Macaroni Kid.
Yeah, I don’t know where the name came from either. Just get past the pink and blue flowers in the logo and check out the website. Here are three reasons why.
Your kids want to do stuff with you.
One thing I’ve learned in my 11 years as a dad is that kids want to do stuff with you, no matter what it is. It’s important to them just to spend time with you, and it should be important to you, too. You teach them a lot, even when you don’t realize you’re teaching, and they look up to you.
But what’s available out there to do with them? Who can keep track of all of that stuff? A man’s got to work. We don’t have time to call all over the place, looking for stuff to do with the kids after work.
No worries. Macaroni Kid has already done the legwork for us. One click gets you on their calendar and BLAM! – loads of activities, including plenty of stuff that us dads will enjoy doing with our kids without seeking the nearest cliff to jump off.
Your kids get booooorrrrrrrred during Summer Break. Kids celebrate the end of school like it’s the second Christmas, but then about a week into Summer Break, they’re booooorrrrrrrred. The complaining, the fighting, the whining…it’s enough to send any dad straight over the edge.
This is the time to remember: Macaroni Kid.
One click, and you’ve got instant access to summer camps, summer movies and concerts, splash pads, indoor play spaces, and more. They do this every year. It’s awesome. See ya, boredom.
Kids are expensive.
“Dad, can we go here? Dad, can we go there? Dad, can we eat out for dinner? Dad, can you take us to the arcade and spend $100 on game tokens so that we can collect tickets and exchange them for $2 worth of stale candy and plastic junk that we’ll lose or break in 10 seconds?”
Ugh. Kids are non-stop money pits. Don’t they know how hard we work for that money?
Once again: Macaroni Kid.
They are bargain-hunters, and they constantly publish articles about where to go to do stuff with the kids that won’t destroy your wallet. My favorite is their guide on where kids eat free (or cheap). Cha-ching!
They also give stuff away all the time – like Indy Eleven Soccer tickets! – so follow their Facebook page. I know. That sounds like chick stuff. Just “like” their page, and we’ll keep it our little secret. The guys don’t have to know that you took the kids to the Eleven game for free.
Alright, the game’s back on. Get back to it. After it’s over, though, holler across the house, “Hey, honey? What was that thing that you showed me about doing stuff with the kids? Hook me up with that!”
She’ll know what you mean.
Eric Ivie is a married father of two who has lived and worked in Hendricks County since 1999. He publishes TheyreOurKids.org – another great resource for parents.
