Dad – to the power of five.

Holidays! Ah, just the thought conjures up images of laid-backness, tall, cold drinks, sunny skies, late breakfasts, and requests of “What can we do now, Dad?” Needless to say some of these images are in sharp contrast to one another.

Anyone with a seven year old will know that the attention span, is less than the lifespan of a miniature cupcake at an Over Eaters Anonymous meeting. So much so that even after we have painted the dinosaur, (and cleaned the couch afterwards), assembled the jigsaw puzzle, built and flown (and crashed) the aeroplane, flown and broken the UFO (due to an over-exuberant Dad), searched for Wally across the globe, relearned the rules of Old Maid, Snap, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and improvised many more rules to relieve the tedium, that even Dads sometimes run out of defences to that black hole of attention – “What can we do now, Dad?”

That is where Dad – to the power of five comes in.

In some circles they might be known as uncles. In my (limited) extended family they are friends and family of friends that saved my patience on numerous occasions. Five (and at times more) friends, with no children of their own (or none that would be seen dead in the pool with them!) ambled to my rescue like superheroes (without the tight underpants, masks and capes – that would just have been weird).

Now I don’t like to be seen as exploitative. I prefer to see a fair exchange of value. So... the superhero (or heroes) gets the undivided attention and adoration of a seven year old who ascribes god-like status on anyone who can braai, swim, piggy back, dive, ride, play rugby, build lego universes and shoot bionicles (from behind tomato sauce bottles, preferably in the middle of a meal) all without the need or compulsion to look to the longer term consequences, or worry about baths, medicine, discipline, manners, ....

The seven year old gets adventures beyond the scope of his imagination, fuelled by the exploits of one who has been there (and sometimes wishes he could go back). He gets exposure to skills and thoughts and experiences that one Dad alone could not provide. And he laps it up....

And me? I get to lie back on the couch and ........

Seems like a fair exchange of value to me.