When you are a parent and you are raising kids, you can find that you end up focusing on the more mundane aspects of life. Of course, you need to work, and those bills need to be paid, but you also need to have more fun with your kids too. When you have more fun with your kids, you embrace who they are and you help them grow and develop. What’s more, you also help them to make and create memories that will last a lifetime. So, what positive steps and actions can you start taking right now to ensure you have as much fun and enjoyment with your kids as possible?
Try Not to Plan Every Detail
As a parent, you can easily and quickly get bogged down with the planning of anything – especially when it comes to your kids. You always want to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, and sometimes this can mean over-planning. When you plan out all of the details for a day out or activity, you lose the element of fun and spontaneity. Learning to take a step back from overplanning and overthinking, and just trying to embrace the day (or activity) ahead can be tricky. However, learning to let go of a certain amount of control can be good for your kids, and your relationship. So, try not to plan out every hour of each trip, and when you feel you are going overboard, learn to take a step back and be more present in the moment.
Get Other Family Members Involved
You do not have to do everything on your own with your kids, and sometimes reaching out to family members and friends can be beneficial. Getting their advice and input on what you can do, where you should go, and what you should see can be eye-opening. Quite often, you will find that family members and friends will bring new ideas to the table. They may also bring a new sense of fun and excitement, and this can be crucial, especially when planning those bigger trips or days out. Reaching out to family and friends, listening to them, and valuing their feedback may help you have even more fun and enjoyment.
Ask Your Kids What They Want to Do
When did you last ask your kids what they wanted to do? So often, you take away control from them and say No, often before hearing what they have to say. To stop this vicious cycle, you need to start reaching out to your kids. Listen to what they want to do and where they want to go. You may find that they want to go to a local museum or park instead of going on an out-of-state trip. Or, you may find that they simply want to spend time with you at home baking or cooking.
Check Out Local and National Events
Having more fun with your kids and even planning trips and days out is often easier when you check out local events guides and magazines. For instance, in the Atlanta Parent Magazine, you can see what is upcoming for the next few weeks and months. Event guides can help you plan out the coming weeks and months and help you enjoy any/all free time you get with your kids. If you do not check out local and national events, you may end up missing out on something that is happening on your doorstep, or even in the next town, and this can of course be disappointing.
Brave the Elements
In those colder fall and winter months, it can be all too tempting to hibernate with your kids. However, getting out there and having fun in the great outdoors by embracing the elements may just be what the doctor ordered. The fresh air is good for you and it is good for your kids too. Whether you are taking a stroll in a local park or going on a muddy adventure, there is always lots to do outdoors (in the rain or the sunshine). For example, with younger kids, you could go on an exploration of nature, perhaps learning to identify plants and animals along the way. And, with older kids, you may want to go on a picnic (without smartphones and devices). Giving you time to talk and reconnect with each other.
Plan Indoor Fun and Activities
With younger kids, you will find that there are always lots of things you can do indoors to entertain each other and pass the hours. From time spent crafting to time building with bricks and blocks and building forts out of old bedsheets, the excitement never seems to end. Planning indoor fun and activities such as crafting, baking, or fort building will ensure that your kids do not end up getting glued to a television set.
Be Prepared to Try New Things
As a parent, you can get easily stuck in routines. Being afraid to leave your comfort zone and not being prepared to try (and embrace) new things will hold you back. Switching your mentality and looking at activities and days out from a new perspective is going to be beneficial. When you are prepared to try new things, you end up learning new things about yourself and about your kids too. These discoveries and revelations can help you build stronger relationships and friendships with each other.
Don’t Forget to Take Time Out
You may think that your kids want to be on the go all of the time; however, you may well find that sometimes they enjoy doing as little as possible. Sometimes, just having some valuable time out with you, and perhaps with any siblings, may be more valuable than a day trip or weekend away. Learning to spot the signals your kids are giving you and learning when to take a step back and stop with the activities is important. When you do this, you can then grow as a family and build those healthy and sustainable boundaries you need with your kids.
