Hello! Had the best run today on the first of week of the #SkillmanPack Dad School 2022! Liya hopped on her bike, Myles and Luke jumped in the running stroller, and we tackled a 3 mile run that included an awesome trail by the library! I’ve missed running and having them alongside me on the runs and it’s GREAT to be back after it with them! Running is meant to be shared with others and runners are best in a pack!
So…what is Dad School anyway?!? Last year when we moved to the RVA I had the awesome opportunity to stay home with the kids to help them get connected to their new city, make friends, and get ready for school. We had a blast and we slowly started referring to it as “Dad School.” Dad School is at its very core a self-confidence and skill building experience. With Sarah’s input and guidance, I’ve created a summer curriculum filled with fun, sports, play, academic practice, a reading competition through our local library, chores, and experiential learning projects where the kids pick something they want to learn about and then we go research it at the library, read about it, visit it (if possible), and then create a presentation about it (through art). We also plan “Fun Friday’s” where we take Sarah on some type of RVA Adventure. All the time, we focus on building confidence and self worth through taking on a challenge, getting through it, and then receiving positive guidance and support from me along the way.
I spent many years (20+) in higher education and so we started off Dad School 2022 by having a meeting to create our expectations and hopes for the summer. We all discussed our expectations of each other and what we wanted to work on from a behavioral standpoint. We also set screen time goals and staying active goals. For hopes, we reviewed what we already have planned, what we hope to plan, and even left room for additional opportunities. We are starting with swim school, drama camp, a reading challenge, and creating a memory book from last school year to kick off our first two weeks. All those years of higher ed taught me you gotta get input, set some goals, allow for flexibility, and lay out how you expect people to act. We certainly have done that here at the #SkillmanPack Dad School.
When we left Indiana last summer, I had no idea what was next for me. I committed to allowing life to show me rather than just to jump to the next thing. Dad School has certainly been fun and in the last year I’ve enjoyed the experiences (Coaching at the YMCA, Volunteering at the school, etc) that have resulted in me being “Coach Ski”, “Luke’s Dad”, “Liya’s Dad”, “Cafeteria Dad”, and an active PTA member. It’s been awesome and this summer will be great and I’m thankful to be able to have a front row seat (with the opportunity to direct) as our kids move through this time of their lives.
Thank you for taking the time to read and/or listen to this blog post. You could’ve spent your time doing something else and I appreciate you spending some time with me. I welcome conversions with those who read or listen to this and you do so by commenting on this post, sending me a note at joshuadavidskillman@gmail.com or via Twitter. Have an awesome day! It’s never too late to be great!
What I Learned While Running 