The One Thing Successful Parents Need to Give Their Children

This afternoon my ten-year old, Noah, walked into the bedroom where I was working.

As is far too often the case, my head never raised up from my computer screen to acknowledge his arrival. I’m usually too fully absorbed writing posts like this or answering urgent emails or seemingly debating the future of humanity (or watching silly dog videos) to respond.

“Hey Dad, wanna go throw the football?” Noah asked.

“Sure.” I replied.

He made a fist, curled his bicep to his body and shouted, “YES!” and then bounded out of the room and down the stairs.

At first Noah’s enthusiasm shocked me as it didn’t seem equal to the occasion. He acted like he had just won a prize, which I soon realized that in his mind, he had:

He’d won time with his father.

I remember how much I treasured the times with my dad when I was his age; how everything was an epic adventure when he and…