Dads Weekend is a weekend for the boys, and even if you are not a boy, it’s the weekend to learn about what exactly it means to have a guys’ weekend. Unless, of course, your mom comes along for the ride. My mom insists on coming along to every Dads Weekend, and because of this, my father and I do not get all of the bonding time we would normally. Plus, we don’t always get to truly enjoy what his idea of a dream weekend would be. But this year, things are going to be different. This year I’m going to teach my mom what it takes to be one of the guys. In fact, my father is going to show both of us what he would do on the best weekend of his life. 

The first step in teaching my mother how to be one of the boys is to make her feel like one of the boys. After some careful research into the minds of men, I have learned being one of the guys comes with some essential activities. The first activity is the handshake. Even your dad may not have heard of this, so it’s a perfect time to teach him as well. This handshake is called the “dap” and it works like a handshake, but then you slap hands like a horizontal high five. Then keeping your hands together, you do a hand hug and pull your arms in for a real hug. A real man hug is more like lightly ramming your chests into each other with a slap on the back. Before you go out in the morning, make sure your parents practice doing this together until they can dap it up with style.

After you’ve mastered the handshake, you guys can head out to a bar, pub or restaurant that shows sports on their TVs. Once you’ve arrived, make sure you get a spot with a clear view of a TV, order some beers and enjoy a casual discussion about sports. If your mom does not know anything about sports (which mine does not), your father can explain it to her, making it a fun bonding experience. Finally, you’ve taught your mother how to become one of the boys, and this has been a perfect beginning to your father’s fantasy weekend.

A fun activity that can include both your mom and dad for Dads Weekend would be letting your parents pick each other’s outfits before you head out to the events for the day. A great start to this would be keeping this idea a secret until they reach the University, so that no one can pack outfits specifically for this occasion. Then once your parents have come to school, you can surprise them with this fantastic idea.

The basic rules behind this are you give your mom your dad’s suitcase and vice versa. Then they will choose each other’s outfits for the day and everyone must wear them out. It will be a fun way to celebrate the weekend and keep everyone included in the festivities. Hopefully, your parents will be adept at outfit-choosing and pick something each one would feel comfortable wearing. But if not, these new outfits will add a hilarious twist to the weekend.

A staple of Dads Weekend is the tailgate. There will be a football game going on, and you guys can enjoy the day by grilling out, eating snacks and day drinking. This tailgate may have been set up for dads, but there is no reason your mom won’t enjoy it as well! A great idea to include in your Dads Weekend plans is to have a tailgate led by your mother. She can show him what it means to have a classy tailgate. This means your mom gets to decide on the drinks, food and activities.

So, a fantastic way to start the morning would be with mimosas. There is no drink classier than mimosas, and they are effortless to make. Just pop some champagne and add some orange juice! In my opinion, the less OJ, the fancier your day will be. The next crucial step in a tailgate is the food. Now, if you’re letting your mom choose, let her add some refined food to the classic male-dominated tailgate. Maybe she will bring some finger sandwiches coupled with a few stylish lobsters and wrapped versions of pigs in a blanket. Following the food and drink is the conversation. If you want to include your mom, the conversation does not have to be dominated by sports.

Instead, you can talk about things she enjoys, such as the decor of the stadium and her opinions on the football players’ uniforms. Keep the conversation light, the drinks flowing and snacks on hand, and you are sure to have a wonderful tailgate!

Another great way to entertain your parents while also staying true to the theme of a boy’s weekend is to play some drinking games. Some classic drinking games most men love are beer pong and beer darts. If your dad went to college, I’m sure he knows how to play beer pong, as this is a staple of college life. That also means odds are your mom knows it, too. Plus, the best way to play beer pong is not with two guys but instead with one master (your dad) and his beautiful lady by his side (your mom).

In case you don’t know how to play, I will do a quick overview of the rules. First, you set up ten cups on each side of the table in a triangular formation. Then once you’ve set these cups up, you fill them with beer (if you really want this to be reminiscent of college, fill them up with Natural Light). After the cups have been filled, you need to find four players. There are two people to a team, and each person on the team gets a ping pong ball. The first thing you do is have everyone throw the balls into the other team’s cups and whoever gets one in first starts the game. This game is simple; there is only one rule, which is to try and sink your balls into the other team’s cups. Once you successfully get a cup, someone on the opposing team will pick that cup up, drink it and take it out of the formation. The first one to get their balls in all of the other team’s cups wins!

Another fun drinking game notorious in college would be beer darts. This is a great game to play with your parents because you can put them on their own team. Now, this is not normally a team game, but it absolutely can be, as it will prevent anyone from getting too drunk and give them both enjoyment.

The rules for this game are simple. First, you create a circle of players; there can be as many as you want, everyone is welcome. Then, each player puts a beer down in front of their feet. Now here comes the fun part. Darts are passed around (you only need one or two), and each player takes a turn throwing that dart at another player’s beer. If the dart punctures the other player’s beer, then that player has to drink their beer down to a level past the puncture hole. If your beers get punctured fast and low down, it can be a good idea to keep your parents on a team so they can take turns drinking and keep their entertainment level high! I hope these games are similar to the ones your dad loved in college and that they help make the weekend exciting for both of your parents.

These are ideas that are exciting and inclusive of everyone’s tastes. So go out with both your parents this weekend and create memories that include parts of both of them (although mostly your dad). Having your mom is not a setback at all, but a way to spice up the weekend instead. It will be an excellent time regardless of what happens, and I hope all three of you will get the full experience you’re hoping for.

Bella is a Junior in LAS. 

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