Fredericksburg Parent

6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • September 2021 parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guaran- tee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2019 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredpar- ent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES editor's note editor's note Photo by Corey Miller Photography Creative Play Creative Play Isn't Just for Our Isn't Just for Our CHILDREN CHILDREN PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR & WEBMASTER Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle & Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter: Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Caroline Murray: Nate and Brendan's mom EDUCATION & INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan's mom SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR Jessica Trask: Cye, Asher and Ragan's mom MARKETING & EVENT INTERNS Mira Dover and Ragan Trask The most important thing a man can do for his family is to take care of himself. From that place of self-care flow providing, protecting and nurturing. In the words of Jim Rohn, men are at their best when they can "love like a mother and protect like a father." I'm guilty of not taking enough "me" time. I go into a mental "2-minute offense" when needs arise and I can't rest until those needs are resolved. It's something I observed in my father, for better or worse. During the last year, I've made more time for myself and as I've reaped the reward of snatching little bits of time, I've encouraged others to do the same. My advice: pursue creative outlets. Creative outlets go underestimated and overlooked. As men, we gravitate to testosterone-boosting athletic and outdoor outlets, like CrossFit, shooting, fishing, running, or basketball. These are great stress busters that help us work out the tension of the day, but do they fulfill desires of the inner self? Not always. Creativity involves play and society isn't high up on men "playing." Men are told to be responsible from age 18. But play is a responsibility to self. There's nothing wrong with learning to play guitar, splashing paint on a canvas, writ- ing poetry, or taking a ballroom dance class. It's even better when our kids know we do it. I go to Zumba and hip-hop dance fitness and I retro game. I do these alone and I share them with my kids. Allowing our inner child to play with our physical children takes our relationships next level. They see a different side of us, and most times, a very approachable one. In this issue, we talk to some local dads who discuss how they stay men- tally fit to be the best they can be—first for themselves and then for their families. They'll tell you how they find their Zen and what it does for their parenting. So, I hope you'll feel inspired to tap into your creativity and try something creative and fun. Adventure awaits.

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