I am a hands-on dad. I take pride in spending time with my kids. Last week I took my toddler to the park. He’s two and has recently outgrown peek-a-boo, but nothing gets him laughing like him seeing me pop into the slide to scare him as he goes down. He grew to like this so much that he actually would not go down the slide unless he saw me in his range of vision going down.

When it’s time to walk in the parking lot he knows to hold my hand, and he grabs my hand instinctively when he needs help climbing on playground equipment. These memories matter to me as much as they do for my kid.

Everyone makes comments about how silly my toddler is. I really think it’s because of how we play together. He sees me being silly, and he wants to be silly too. We have fun together.

So dads, go down the slide with your kid. Get on the floor and play with them. Be a kid with your kid.

Don’t make your kid think you love your phone more than you love them. This is for any parent, whether you’re a father or a mother. If I were to sit down and play on my phone while my toddler plays alone, I truly think he would be a different kid.

Your toddler may not remember you being on your phone, but they will miss out on the memories you could make if you put it down and played with them.