The fun parent

I think with every parenting duo, there’s the “fun” one and there’s the “all-business” one.

The fun parent does things like telling great stories and jokes, playing video and board games, and making everyone laugh with their antics. The all-business parent does things like paying the bills; setting up the doctor, dentist, and eye appointments; and making certain all is well with school and activity scheduling.

My husband John has typically been the fun parent, while I’ve been the all-business parent. John would do the rough-and-tumble activities with the boys when they were little, while I’d be the one saying stuff like, “No, you can’t jump off the garage roof!” (John insists that this was fun and a good exercise in trust for our sons, since he’d be the one to catch them … I wasn’t so convinced.)

As Jonathon and Jacob got older, the dinner table conversation began to turn more towards video game speak. Phrases like “AFK,” “first person shooter,” and “we talked on Discord” initially flew right over my head.

Now that Jonathon is completely on his own and Jacob is about to move out this summer, I’ve been using my all-business skills to help them navigate things like applying for their own insurance and apartment hunting.

I’m glad to have these skills, but there are moments where I yearn to be more of the fun parent. In fact, I mentioned this one time during a conversation with John.

“Honey, you can easily change that,” he replied. “You can do what I do, like taking them out to lunch or asking about their video game projects.”

I pondered his suggestion and wanted to implement it soon, especially since Jacob will be moving to Bloomington later this summer. And a few Fridays ago, I had my chance.

My work world is typically a little quieter on Fridays, so when I saw that a good one was coming up, I reached out to Jonathon to see if Jacob and I could meet him for lunch. He was all for it.

Since Jonathon works at the Hamilton East Public Library in Fishers, I picked up Torchy’s Tacos from up the street and met both boys there. After a delicious lunch, Jonathon asked if we wanted a tour. Jacob and I said, “Sure!”

My jaw dropped when we visited the Ignite Studio, an art studio and makerspace. It was fun to see kids and their families amid various projects. And I finally got to peek inside the video game pod. Even though I’m not a “gamer,” I could certainly appreciate it.

The three of us enjoyed the tour, and my normally quiet Jonathon was talking up a storm! The time flew by, and I realized I needed to get back to work. Jacob had a few more minutes and since he drove separately, he decided to stay to see more of the library. I hugged them both goodbye and told them how much fun I had.

As I strolled out to my car in the misty rain, I grinned. Maybe parents don’t have to stick to just fun or just business. Maybe they can switch roles once in a while and create some great memories!

Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs, and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.