Field plans for dadsOne page per plan · Friday letter

Home / Start here / Print pack

Your print pack

1 field card, one per page: Breakfast date: just you and one kid.

Back to Start here

One card per US Letter page. No printer? Choose Save as PDF in the print screen.

Dad Field Manual · Field card 139 · Dad-and-Kid Dates

Breakfast date: just you and one kid

One kid, no siblings, no phone. Breakfast out, or a café in your kitchen, gives them your full attention and something to look forward to next month.

Time
1 hour
Cost
About $15 out, $3 at home
Ages
3 to 8
Where
A diner, bakery or your kitchen

What you need

  • The invite card below, filled in and handed over a day ahead
  • About $15 for two breakfasts and a tip (or eggs, toast and juice at home)
  • A notebook or folder to be the date book
  • Home café: a paper menu they draw, a dish towel over your arm

Before you go

  • Phone away, face down or in the car. AAP says to put devices away during one-on-one time and really focus on each other.
  • For kids under 4, cut food small. AAP says to cut food to half-inch pieces, cut grapes and keep kids seated while they eat.
  • Tell the server about any allergy before your kid orders, and check what comes with the plate.

Steps

  1. Hand over the invite. Give them the written invite a day ahead and read it out loud together.
  2. Let them order. Offer two or three menu choices, then they place their own order.
  3. Ask, then listen. Ask one question at a time and let them finish before you talk.
  4. Pay together. They hand over the payment, say thank you and keep the receipt.
  5. Make it a book. Tape the receipt in the date book, add one quote, and pick the next date.

If it stalls

  • If they freeze at ordering, practice in the car: you're the server, they order. Then sit right beside them.
  • If they get wiggly before the food, bring a pen: draw on a napkin together or play tic-tac-toe.

Cut out: the invite

You and me, Saturday at 8. Breakfast out, your pick of booth or counter. Wear shoes you can walk in.

— Dad

Ask on the date

  1. If you could eat one breakfast every day, what would it be?
  2. What made you laugh this week?
  3. Who did you play with this week? What did you play?
  4. If you were the boss of the house for one day, what would we do?
  5. What's something you want to learn how to do?

Keep it

Ask for the receipt and tape it into a date book with the date and one thing they said.

We went on Next time: Date