Caution: Fun Mommy at Play
Happy New Year! Winter break is over and my kids are ready to get back to their routines – well let me put it another way – I am ready for them to get back to their routines. It’s time to put away the holiday decorations, get rid of the copious amounts of festive cookies, cakes and, in my house, pie. We are going to settle back down and be open to whatever the New Year brings.
During the past few months, I have taken time to reflect on some things I want to focus and improve upon. I hope what I am about to share will resonate with other parents out there, so I know it’s not just me —
A few months ago, my daughter, Hannah asked me to play with her. I can’t even remember what exactly she wanted us to do. Whatever it was, I told her I was too busy to stop and play. I am sure I was in the middle of sorting & folding the never-ending laundry pile, and after that the kitchen probably needed to be cleaned and dinner needed to be figured out … you get the idea. I was busy running our lives — She looked at me, said “How come you aren’t any fun? You are a ‘Fun Murderer!’” and stormed out of the room.
It seems my 8 year old daughter has quite the flair for drama, but her point was well taken. I sometimes get so wrapped up running our lives that I don’t stop and enjoy the life I run. Seems counter-productive doesn’t it? So, with that in mind, I am going to focus on being a ‘Fun Mommy” more often and here’s how I plan to do it:
Let them eat Cake!
Having ice cream for breakfast one weekend morning every so often isn’t going to kill them and it’s fun!
They call the shots.
Letting them decide on what we will do one evening gives them a sense of empowerment. My kids love having family movie night, playing a game of Trouble, working on a puzzle together or heading out to eat. Whatever they want to do – it’s kids’ choice.
Bake just because.
Normally, I don’t bake unless there it’s for a specific reason but I remember how much I used to love coming home to a freshly made batch of brownies or cookies when I was younger. So, who cares if there is no reason – I am going to bake more with their help!
Break out from the routine.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I planned a lot of family-friendly outings over winter break. This doesn’t have to happen all the time, but I forget how nice it is to break out from the routine and try something new and different. I am going to make a regular habit out of this sort of thing and plan regular family adventures so that we get out and see what’s going on around us.
There you have it – my plan to create and incorporate more ‘Fun Mommy’ into our lives so that I will no longer be known as the ‘Fun Murderer’ in my house.
On a related note, I have been reading a blog called The Meanest Mom. This blog has provided me countless hours of laughter, especially after one of my kids has referred to me as the Meanest Mommy Ever!
Please share some of your own stories about letting your kids’ call the shots and ways you bring out your inner ‘Fun Mommy” or “Fun Daddy”. I can use some more ideas —
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