Sunday afternoon.

You might consider it the best time of the week.  Naps.  Football (well, at least one more game this year).  Movies.  Reading.  That last deep breath before work begins.

I often have mixed feelings.  The weekend has flown by too quickly.  I still have errands to run.  To quote something I saw this weekend, “I still have procrastinating to do today that I didn’t finish yesterday.”

Yesterday, I had actually made progress on several tasks I had not gotten to in some time.  Checking those boxes felt great.

Then he came in.

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My son asked me to go trail riding.  Something we have both done together in the past (with many great memories and laughs), but had not done in some time.

“Maybe later.  I’m in the middle of this project.”

My son’s shoulders slumped a little and he turned and walked away, which allowed me to get back to the task at hand.

About ten minutes later, just as I was wrapping up the prior project and anticipating the next item on my list, he asked again.  His eyes told me he already knew my response.

“I said maybe later.  I have quite a few things to get done today.”

“Please, dad.  Please!”

“Not right now.  I’ll check with you later.”

My son is 11-years-old.  It did not take too much inner monologue to occur for me to realize he will not be asking me to ride bikes with him too many more years.  I suppose he might, but he certainly would not beg me to ride over to meet up with his buddies when he turns sixteen.

I guess I could fantasize about being a cool dad all the friends want to hang with, but the lottery might be a better bet.

I finished up the next item and decided I would take the initiative to ask my son if he was ready to ride.

Think about your kid and a time you saw her face go from boredom to outright joy…my son executed it perfectly.

We proceeded to take a 45-minute ride, round-trip, on some great trails.  We both got exercise.  We both laughed.  We both got some scratches and scrapes.  He got some time with dad.

And I still had time to work on my checklist and save a few for next weekend.

Have you ever regretted telling your kid “no”?  Were you able to make it up to them and to yourself?