How to Have More Fun with Your Kids

Today’s parents are expected to do everything perfectly. To make healthy meals, help with homework, schedule play dates, drive carpools, and show up to every game, recital, and parent-teacher conference showered and smiling. Oh, and they must also save up for college tuition for one, two, or more kids.

While parenting is serious business, it shouldn’t be serious all of the time. Parents need to remember to take advantage of the fact that they live with kids. After all, kids are geniuses at living in the moment and not sweating the small stuff. Kids, even older ones, are more than happy to have fun at a moment’s notice and nothing sounds sweeter than a child’s laughter.

It’s important to remember that parenting should be fun. If we focus too much on being good parents by getting all the stuff done, we’ll miss out on making wonderful memories with our kids.

Here are some ways you can start having more fun with your kids:

Be in the Moment

I guarantee, your eight-year-old doesn’t spend much time worrying about their schedule the following day or regretting a decision they made the day before. They are most likely fully engaged in the moment. All of their thoughts, feelings, and senses are involved in whatever activity they are doing right now.

Adults call this mindfulness, and if you’ve spent any time meditating, you know what I’m talking about. Your first step to having more fun with your kids is to be right there in the moment with them. Try not to let your mind wander to all of those very adult responsibilities. Follow your child’s lead and experience what is actually happening right now.  Just be – with them.

Share Your Passions with Your Kids

If the idea of watching Dora the Explorer for three hours or playing Lego doesn’t thrill you, your kids will know you’re faking it. Why not introduce your kids to something you love to do?

If you love arts & crafts, why not start a creative project with your kids? Love cooking? Get them in the kitchen and teach them or take a cake decorating class together. Your kids don’t really care what they do with you, they just want to be with you. Sure, your teenager might be harder to sell on your hobbies, but try taking turns picking the activity and you can both learn something new.

Make Not Fun Things Fun

We don’t all have countless hours to devote to taking a class with our kids or going to the bowling alley every weekend. But this doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with them.

The truth is, ANY activity can be fun if we intend it to be. Doing the dishes together after dinner? See who can realistically quack like a duck. Have to study boring vocabulary words? Use a funny accent. Stuck in traffic on the way home from practice? Make up a song about the adventure.

When it comes to having more fun with your kids, there aren’t any rules, except to just do it.

Often anxious parents struggle the most with stopping the work and worry to play and connect with their children.  If you are worried about passing on your anxious patterns or missing out on the joys of parenting, talking to a therapist can help. If you’d like to explore treatment options, please contact me to discuss setting up a free initial consultation session.