In late spring of 2022 my wife and I set off with our 4 children on a month-long journey from central Texas to the Grand Canyon. Every two to three days we’d pack up our tent, yes you read that right, singular tent and the wheels on our old green machine (2001 Ford Excursion) would roll into some never before seen landscape.
We took it slow because my life had gotten so busy in the months prior. 
My job at the time was an absolute joy but had long hours, lots of travel and even more stress. I saw my kids maybe 5 or 6 times in the month of February. Or I should really say, they saw me 5 or 6 times. I would pop into their rooms and watch them sleep to ground myself.
One night, sitting at the foot of my youngest bed, listening to him breathe, my mind overcome with work thoughts I decided all my obligations for May will be wiped. I came out of that dark room and started planning the month-long trip with my wife.
We’ve got time for meal-prepping, doom-scrolling, and three-minute planks—but when it comes to throwing a frisbee? Ain’t nobody got time for that.
American adults spend 7 hours on screens but only 30 minutes engaged in leisure play per day. I can’t speak for anyone else but that sounds like a very imbalanced life and I hate to break it to you but those 7 hours shoot up 8-9 hours for teenagers.
We are blissfully unaware of how devastating this is for not only the individual but society as a whole.
My wife and I chose 30 days of play in the wilderness with our kiddos. But that isn’t sustainable. We all have commitments and to decline every calendar invite in your inbox is, most definitely, a damaging career move but for me it was worth the risk to make memories.
I am a firm believer in cherishing the time we have with those we love over endlessly pursuing more. Work will always be there, but there is a limited time for me and my people.
We sled down sand dunes, sat in hot springs, hiked countless miles and most of all, spent time laughing, singing, and reading books to the boys every night as they feel asleep in their sleeping bags.
Our family turned from a disjointed group into an inseparable pack. It wasn’t without challenges but it was amazing to see how what would have resulted in a screaming fit at home mellowed out when my wife and I were able to give them space and time to adjust to our requests instead of rushing them because we “needed to leave” or “don’t have time.”
I realized on that trip that I was telling my kids I didn’t have time for them but I had time for someone else’s ideas.
I didn’t have time to play legos but I did have time to have 3hr long zoom calls about production management issues. I was saying I didn’t care about them and that cut me to the core.
One of my mentors told me:
“if you never schedule it, it’ll never happen; We can’t control the future but we can control our habits.”
I’ve experienced too often the moments you come back from a work trip to find your youngest looks different. Older. More mature.
Add a new calendar block in your life, name it just one word; “Play” and invite all the ones you love.
Since the trip we’ve made it a point that I don’t leave for longer than 3 days at a time and every Sunday is family day. I put my phone away, I don’t even know where it is most Sundays to be honest. 
Sometimes we go play kickball, bowling, or basketball or sometimes it’s a game of Farkle (dice game), Clue, or if we really have time on our hands, the most American game of all, Monopoly.
What you do with your play block doesn’t matter. It’s the act of playing with those close to you that does. Maybe you’ll start a “Backyard Bliss Day” on your Sport Court gamecourt and might as well invite the neighbors over too. You and I both know they could use the exercise. 
We’ve found this rhythm works for our family and it’s been a joy to have something steady we can lean on. It gives us more leadership capital to spend when the tempers start to rise and it gives us more grace for those temper flares.
Learning how to play again as an adult is really hard but the good news is, you have experts in your house.
Just watch what those little ones do and let yourself act a fool. Life doesn’t have to be as serious as we make it out to be. You know what they say,
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,
All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.”
None of us want to be known as a dull boy, do we? Let’s find time for play. It’s a priceless endeavor.
