“Mum, I Love Dad More Than You”: What Our Five-Year-Old Taught Us About Family Adventures
“Mum… I love Dad more than you.”
That’s what my five-year-old announced while I was hanging out the washing and watching his many trampoline tricks. 🥲
You know the routine:
One peg.
Stop and watch.
One more peg.
Stop and watch again. 🤪
The comment stung a little, but I was genuinely curious.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Because Dad is more fun than you.”
Ooft. 🫠
But we do fun things too… right?
I started offering evidence in my defence.
We go to the beach together.
We make smoothies and bliss balls.
We go to the park.
He thought about it, then explained:
“Yeah… but Dad does Dadventures, and Dadventures are my best.”
And you know what?
He was right. 🥹
Why intentional adventures feel different to children
It wasn’t that Dad always did bigger, more expensive or more exciting things.
The difference was how Dadventures felt.
- They were out of the ordinary. We could visit the beach every week, but he might remember the one time Dad took him on a train because it felt different.
- They began with anticipation. Choosing an idea, talking about it and packing a bag together made the adventure start before they left home.
- They had a name. Calling it a “Dadventure” made an ordinary outing feel like their special thing.
- They were intentional. The activity said, “I chose to spend this time with you.”
That last part matters.
Kids don’t need every outing to be spectacular.
They want to feel that we are really there with them.
So I made a decision
After that conversation, I decided I was taking him on a Mumventure every week.
Not to compete for the position of favourite parent. 😜
Not to outdo Jeremy.
But because I want to be the kind of mum who sometimes steps outside our usual routine and creates a little bubble of excitement with her kids.
A Mumventure could be tiny:
- ride a ferry or train together;
- visit a new playground;
- pack afternoon tea for a sunset picnic;
- hunt for the funniest letterbox in the neighbourhood; or
- let the kids plan a surprise destination from three options.
The activity isn’t the whole point.
The point is choosing each other. ❤️
Create a family ritual of your own
You don’t need to use our name for it.
Call it Dad Day, Mum-and-Me Time, Saturday Surprise or The Great Jones Family Expedition.
Give it a name.
Build a little anticipation.
Put the phone away.
Then let an ordinary outing become part of your family story.
If choosing an idea is the part that stops you, the Dadventure Deck was created to remove that friction.
Cheering you on!
Larissa Jones
Dad Certified
Adapted from an update originally shared with Dad Certified subscribers on 7 July 2025.