Everywhere we fathers go, we hear from the experts that we need to spend more time with our kids.   But few are willing to define "more time".

In her book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, author Dr. Meg Meeker suggests that if you listen attentively to your daughter 10 minutes a day, by the end of a month your relationship will completely change for the better.  I know for most of you guys out there that "just" listening isn't necessarily your thing, but it's an important thing to her.

For boys and girls, I would suggest 6 minutes of "rough-housing". 

Rough-housing helps children develop emotional and physical self-control and improves self-esteem among other things. Through rough-housing, kids learn about setting limits, the meaning of a "fair fight", and that even in struggle, certain etiquette applies.

In the book The Involved Father,Robert Frank writes:

"Kids (boys especially) who don't have this experience and guidance from their dad may never understand what it means to struggle in a humane manner that is respectful of the opponent.  Girls, though they may not always engage in as much rough-housing as boys, are nevertheless encouraged to stand up for themselves, face challenges and develop higher self-esteem when dads are involved."

That's 10 minutes of listening and 6 minutes of serious play-it-out with the kids...16 minutes! That's not all they need of course, but it's a start. And it's an answer to what all those experts have been saying