The most fun your kids will ever have is with you.
— Geoff Moore

A couple of years ago when Christian music artist Geoff Moore turned 40, his 11- and 13-year-old sons wrote him letters.

I guarantee you'll see things in your children that you desperately want to see...

"They did it independent of each other," Geoff says. "They said, 'We love you, Dad. You're a great dad.' But there was one sentence that was the same in both boys' letters. It said, 'Daddy, thanks for untangling my line.'"

Geoff knows his sons were saying a multitude of things with those words.

"They were saying, 'Thanks for taking me fishing; thanks for being with me,'" Geoff explains. "But mostly they were saying, 'Thanks for being patient with me when I mess up.'"

For parents who don't believe patience is a virtue, Geoff suggests taking their kids fishing.

"It's not easy and puts you in unfamiliar territory that takes awhile to adjust to," Geoff says of being outdoors away from computers, televisions, microwaves and video games. "But I guarantee you'll see things in your children that you desperately want to see — things such as affection, attentiveness and a willingness to cooperate — when you break away from the culture's hold."

Geoff doesn't believe every family needs to go camping to connect, but he does encourage families to find something creative to be involved with together. He also discourages parents from spending money on their children in place of spending time with them or doing a short big-bang-for-your-buck experience.

"I wish I knew who said this," Geoff says, "but one of my favorite quotes is, 'Quality time appears unexpectedly out of quantity time.' The days I've spent with my boys fishing have been infinitely more fun for them and more productive relationally than any day spent at an amusement park.

Almost all of the most profound talks that I've had with my boys about God, love, relationships, sex — all the big issues of life — have happened outdoors."

Geoff and his wife, Jan, have three children after adopting a baby girl from China. And they intentionally look for ways to have fun as a family.

"If the relationship is at all reasonable, I challenge you to find a kid who would like to be with anybody other than his mom or dad," Geoff says. "Some of the most powerful words you can speak to your kids are: 'Honey, what do you want to do today?'"

Children naturally want to spend time having fun with their parents. But parents often have a lot of serious matters battling for their attention: careers, bills, other commitments.

"Kids can understand some of the pressures you're dealing with," Geoff says. "Thankfully, they don't comprehend all the weight you're under involving conflicts in the workplace or mortgage payments. Let them be kids. Find things they love to do, and give yourself time to do it. That teachable moment you've been longing for may just appear."