When I was pregnant, I remember seeing a toddler running on a sidewalk with a look of pure joy on his face. I'm pretty sure his mother wasn't as joyful running after him, but the boy's expression was another reminder of why I was excited about being a parent.

Now I have my own child who loves to run. He yells, "Race me!" Then he takes off before we've agreed on a finish line. Too bad I can't get as excited about running as he does. I'll race him when I can, but I sometimes feel relieved when I can tell him I'm wearing the wrong shoes to race him. I wish I loved running. I've actually completed a marathon and I run for exercise some days, but I don't love it. Not one bit. Maybe if I'm less goal-oriented about it, running won't feel like a chore.

We had a neighborhood party on Labor Day weekend and I noticed how much fun the kids were having running around with a couple of basketballs. They weren't even trying to score baskets. They were just playing keep away with the little ones just following the older kids while screaming. They were having a blast! I need a piece of that action. I started looking into adult leagues for playground games, like kickball and dodgeball. We often see adults playing at parks around our city. I suppose the easiest thing to do is just take a ball out to the park and run around with my son. A recent British study found many parents have forgotten how to play with their children. I don't want that to happen to me! If I'm wearing the right shoes and have the right attitude, I'm sure to have as much fun as he's having.