I couldn't stop thinking about the picture.

A little kid. A beat-up Zebco fishing rod. A shark.

Not a giant one. Not a world record. Just a kid who accidentally caught something much bigger than he expected.

That's parenting and fishing, anything could happen.

A hard friendship.
A first failure.
A problem at school.
A championship game.
A question you weren't ready to answer.

Our job isn't to make sure they never hook the shark.

It's to stand beside them while they figure out they can reel it in.

Kids become brave one impossible fish at a time.

Sometimes all they need is a dad saying, "Easy. Keep the line tight. You've got this." And then let him do it.

The Perfect starting rod for any kid

The Zebco is literally what everyone starts with and the shark is the fish that your kids can’t read enough about. Check out the Who Would Win Series at your library.

Cook This: Build your own fish taco night

Build-Your-Own Fish Taco Night (No fish required.)

Set out bowls of:

Nobody complains because everybody gets to build their own.

Spend the next hour using only your non-dominant hand.

Brush your teeth.
Throw a ball.
Open a snack.
Shuffle cards.
Build with LEGO.

Let your kids watch you struggle. Challenge them to do the same.

One of the best gifts we can give our kids is seeing us be beginners.

Life is as fun as you make it or decide it is going to be. Making food in the shape of animals is a perfect example of this. Obviously pancakes are the easier way to go but try it with fruit and veggies too. There is lots of inspiration below.

Check this out: Food that looks like animals inspiration

This newsletter is not professional in nature but intended to be real things to try. They won’t all work but this is a process and I’d love for you to join me on the way. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you next week.

Send me a note or your best dad joke @ [email protected]