While parenting has no more guarantees than financial investment, when we make regular investments of time, attention, love, and joy, our relationship with our children has much greater capacity for enduring health.

One such investment which became a ten year tradition for my son and I, was attending Dad & Me Weekends at Warm Beach Camp in Stanwood, WA. These weekends gave us plenty of ways to build memories and have fun together. Even though I work at Camp and could take my son out to shoot BB guns or do archery anytime, there was something special about packing up and moving into a cabin with other guys and spending time hanging out, and doing cool stuff together.

Whether it was mountain boards down the hill or foursquare in the barn, we kept busy morning to night. It sounds exhausting and frankly it was. But it was always a good tired feeling at the end of a weekend knowing that positive investment was made in our relationship. There was something special about me taking time away from the rest of the family to do something with just my son.

Dad & Me Weekends are deceptively simple. Two nights, six meals, and tons of fun things to do together. Memorable chapel times bring focus on meaningful aspects of faith and family. And, there is lots of time together. It is one of those rare times when dad is just playing with his child and doesn’t have to stop and do chores or go to a sporting event or help someone else with a project.

Dad & Me Weekends can be a tradition that builds positively upon the daily/weekly investments we make in our kid’s lives. It is the perfect getaway for investing in our kids, while they’re still kids. As my son approaches high school graduation and will soon be off to college, those routine investments have built a life of shared memories and mutual commitment that is so very, very rich in our family. 

More information about Dad & Me Weekends for sons and daughters can be found at https://www.warmbeach.com/programs/family-programs/dad-and-me-weekends

Patrick Patterson, General Manager/C.O.O
Warm Beach Camp and Conference Center