Note from Amy: Today’s post is by my dear friend and fellow blogger, Kristi Clover of RaisingClovers.com. As a mom of 5 herself, she knows how hard it can be to be a “fun mom” or even a SANE mom! She’s written a brand new ebook, Sanity Savers for Moms to help moms like you not just survive, but thrive!
Some times I’m just too tired to be a fun mom. I don’t know about you, but my mind often draws a blank when I have to come up with something exciting to do on the spot. There are weekends that we realize we don’t have anything going on, and I can’t think of a single thing to do. Often I’m just too tired from our busy week to come up with anything good. Granted, I personally think it is thrilling to gut a closet or reorganize the garage, but my family does not share this strange passion with me.
That’s usually about the time the guilt starts creeping in. I feel like so much of my day is spent telling my kids “No!”–“No” to treats. “No” to electronic time. “No” this. “No” to that. It’s never ending–and multiplied between all my kids. It’s easy for me to start feeling like a really lame mom. Throw in a little time on Facebook or Instagram seeing what other families are up to, and I could have myself my own private little pity-party.
I’ve come to realize that fun isn’t always spontaneous! It’s great when it happens this way, but I’ve found that I have to be very intentional about planning fun into our lives. There are so many moving parts with our family of seven. Sometimes I have to be very strategic about clearing our calendar enough to allow time for fun. There are so many incredible things we can do right from home or in our area. It just takes a little planning ahead.
What I’ve learned to do to be best prepared for fun is to make a list! I’m a list girl by nature, but fun will not happen in my house without my
Family Fun List.
When I hear about someplace fun my friends went to over the weekend, a great new restaurant to try, a new twist on a holiday tradition—I write it down. I stop feeling so guilty about what we’re not doing, and start getting excited about what we are planning to do.
Fun doesn’t have to be extravagant! Sometimes just planning a simple game night is just the perfect way to add some fun. We have a few favorite, family-friendly comedians we enjoy watching together to get the endorphins going. My seven year old has decided he wants to be a comedian and usually reenacts a few of the sketches—his version gets us laughing even more. Some nights we “pump up the volume,” turn on some music, and have dance parties. My husband and I show off our 90’s dance moves and laugh as the kids try to do them—like the night they tried to do “the worm” and looked like a bunch of fish out of water. I laugh just thinking about it.
Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices going and your fun list started!
Family Fun with Your Spouse!
- Plan date nights! Date nights are a must when you are married, especially if you have kids! You need time away to escape the constant interruptions and distractions. Get a sitter or enlist the help of family or friends to watch the kids. Just get out together as a couple! Be adventurous and try to go to new places, not just the “same old spot.” Date nights don’t have to be just dinners either! Think through some fun activities you want to try out together. We tried taking a dance lesson together on a date night once and I learned I’m not the dancer I thought I would be. We did have a lot of fun though.
- Plan a weekend away together! Again, it doesn’t have to be extravagant! We’ve even had our kids stay with family and our “get-away” was in our own home. That was really fun! It was hard to not just spend our time getting things done around the house. We had to keep asking ourselves what would we do if we were at a hotel. There may not be room service, but it’s still a lot of fun.
- Plan stay-at-home date nights! Mark your calendars, get the kids to bed early, and have some fun at home together. We’ve done picnic desserts on the family room floor. Family Life has a great kit called “Simply Romantic Nights” that we’ve used for ideas. Be prepared to blush at a few of them.
Family Fun with Your Kids!
- Special Meals! This is one of the simplest ways to get your kids excited. Who doesn’t love a little “food fun?” Plan a color day and pick food that is only that color. You could plan a rainbow week by picking a different color for each day. Finish up your color week by making some yummy Lucky Charm Treats for the last day as a little Rainbow celebration. Homemade ice cream is a special treat in our home. So, sometimes I surprise them with a little ice-cream night.
- Dude & Daughter Dates! One-on-one time with your kids is so important, especially if you have a large family. My husband and I rotate taking kids out for special lunches or activities as much as possible. Sometimes, it’s as simple as coffee or errands. We used to call these “dude dates” before we had the girls. Now, we’ve had to add “daughter dates” to the rotation. Whatever you call them—getting your kids alone to connect with them and hear their heart is one of the best investments of your time.
- Themed Days! We love theme days! I’ll admit my older kids probably got to enjoy more of my creative, themed days than my younger ones now. This is a little reminder for me to start implementing some of the things on our “Family Fun” list. As for theme days, you can try a “Water Day” which includes some fun “get wet” activities like water balloons, a homemade slip and slide, sprinklers, cut-up sponges, and fun pool activities. “Mini Olympics” are fun, too. There are lots of fun ideas for things to do with an Olympic theme on Pinterest. You can plan a “Messy Day” with shaving cream, finger paints, sidewalk chalk, and end the day with “Dirt Cake.”
- Outdoor Fun! Capture the flag, Nerf tag, flashlight tag at night—the list can go on. There are nights we just lay down and look at the stars. We also enjoy camping in our own backyard. Who needs a fancy vacation, when you can pitch a tent in your own yard—or living room? I guess that one doesn’t qualify as being outdoors even though you are using outdoor equipment. Don’t forget hikes, bikes, skates, and evening walks in the neighborhood. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to be together.
Special Note on Fun:
Take pictures!! You have to take pictures! Don’t be shy about asking strangers to snap a family picture. Nothing makes memories last longer than being able to look back at the photos you took. Making memories is so fun, but the bonus of pictures is that it takes you right back to that moment.
Basically, plan a family fun night. Go out and try something new. Just have fun, take pictures, and make memories as a family!
Blessings and joy,
Kristi
* Today’s post has excerpts from Chapter 7 “Have Fun!” of my new book, Sanity Savers for Moms: 7 Simple Solutions for a More Joy-filled Life. I threw in a few extra “fun” ideas for you exclusively here at Raising Arrows. I have some great printables at the back that I know you will enjoy–including a “Family Fun List” Planner and “Traditions List” Planner. {Oh, and I put my “Dirt Cake” recipe in the book, too.}
Kristi Clover is a Christian, homeschooling mom to five blessings ranging from teens to tots and wife to her high school crush. Aside from her family, she’s passionate about encouraging and inspiring women in their daily lives as moms, wives, and homeschoolers by offering “Simple Solutions for a More Joy-filled Life.” Her tips are creative, practical, and help bring back some simplicity in the chaos of life and homeschooling—helping moms to let go of the mommy guilt they often feel in this “Pinterest-perfect” world. She blogs about her adventures in wifehood, mommyhood, and the fun to be found in homeschooling at Raising Clovers.
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