I am the proud father of four beautiful children. I am in the beginning stages of parenting and praying that God will give wisdom as my wife and I seek to rear our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We truly desire to build a household of faith!

When my wife and I first began having children, one of my mentors in the area of family challenged me to have time with each of my children alone each week. These moments have become some of the most anticipated moments of my week. For years now, I have dated each of my girls every week. God has blessed my wife and me with three girls and one boy. As I take my girls out, I was taught that the two most important things I can accomplish are to convince them that I love them and that they are special to me. I don’t remember a date where I have not emphasized those two things. My son must be convinced I love him, and there is nothing he could do to make me stop loving him.

Over the years, I have compiled a list of ideas for weekly dates that I have heard of or read. I have revisited this list many times and wanted to share it with you in the hope that it would encourage you and that you can make this a weekly part of your life.

1. Ice cream
2. Root beer float
3. Doughnut shop
4. Play catch for 25 minutes
5. Shoot baskets for 25 minutes
6. Play a video game for 25 minutes
7. Build something together (me-box, shield, ship, tinker toys, etc.)
8. Bake something
9. Play miniature golf
10. Go bowling
11. High school sporting event (football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, wrestling)
12. Batting cages
13. Sportsman show, gun show, boat show
14. County fair
15. Ride motorcycles/ATV’s
16. Ride horses
17. Swimming (pool, river, lake)
18. Fishing
19. Hunting
20. Shooting
21. Shopping for 1 special item
22. Picnic
23. Swinging in the park
24. Breakfast out alone
25. Coffee shop
26. High school/college concert
27. High school/college play
28. Hike in woods or along river
29. Play a board game (Scrabble, Uno, Trouble, etc.)
30. Wrestle time
31. Game time (keep away, hot box, spoons, etc.)
32. Manhood lessons
33. Driving lessons
34. Explore in the woods
35. Work on the car together
36. Take a treat to a shut-in
37. Secret giving
38. Walk (in the rain, in the dark, in the neighborhood, in the mall, etc.)
39. Play with a mattress in the yard or lay on trampoline/look at clouds/stars
40. Have a water balloon fight
41. Rodeo
42. Soft air war
43. Climbing
44. Rollerblading
45. Skating
46. Tennis
47. Ping Pong, Pool, Foosball, Air Hockey
48. Photo shoot
49. Buy a new pair of shoes
50. Buy one item in a sporting goods store
51. Shop for a used car
52. Drive in the country
53. Wild life safari
54. Tubing/skiing
55. Snow cones
56. Select, purchase, and download good music online
57. Trip to the snow
58. BB, air rifle, marksman shoot-off
59. Golf
60. Create a new dish/dessert
61. Buy her a new piece of jewelry
62. Manicure/pedicure
63. Starbucks
64. Bike ride
65. Visit a play area at a fast food restaurant

Not all of these will work for everyone, but I hope this list will get your mind thinking about what you can do. By developing a list of 52 ideas, you will have one for each week. I promise you will never regret one moment spent with your children, and if you make this discipline of a weekly alone time part of your parenting strategy, it will pay off unbelievably!