“Bring it on,” I yelled to my kids. “I’ll pin you both at the same time!”

“You think so?” my daughter yelled back. “You’re gonna get what you deserve!” My son came at me from the front, while my daughter snuck around behind me. I spun to the ground, and was assaulted on both sides. It was only a matter of time before they each had a shoulder pinned to the ground.

While they celebrated their victory, I planned my next attack, knowing that the “results” of the battle were far less important than the battle itself.

Do you want to be an effective father?

One of the easiest ways to be effective is to wrestle with your kids. Not only is it loads of fun, but its’ benefits go a long ways towards teaching your kids some valuable lessons.

My son came running around the corner of the house. It was just as I had hoped. I gave a wild, primitive yell as I sprang out at him. He hit the ground quickly, trying to avoid my grasp. I reached down and tagged him easily, and the burden of being “it” was transferred once again.

As I searched for a new hiding place in front of the house, my wife called from the front door. “Mark, it’s eight o’clock, the kids have to come in!” I was a bit dumbfounded.

We’d been playing tag for two hours.

In those two hours, I’d been unaware of time. There were no worries about projects at work, what time the kids needed to go to bed, or whether we had enough money to last the month. My focus had been on playing tag, and nothing else. And when your focus is complete, you’ve entered a state that has no limitations. Your joy and passion can come alive, and your children’s can, too.

Being in a complete state of play is one of the gifts our children give us.