Keep the fun alive in parenting

No one ever said being a parent was easy, let alone if you’re battling shared custody, or even playing dual roles of mum and dad. Often we find ourselves wondering, with all the ups and downs, is there any fun in parenthood? But one thing is for sure, it’s supposed to be fun. Family is arguably the most important thing in life. And it’s important to remember to cherish the time with those you love. Sometimes getting rid of the stresses in the family is just what the doctor ordered.

No one is the perfect parent. It doesn’t matter how many books you read, how many seminars you attend, how much wisdom your grandmother or great grandfather passes on, you’ll struggle to find someone who will argue that parenting is the hardest job on the planet. You are raising a human being. But through all the outside insights, all the ups and downs, you need to remember it’s all about the fun times and the laughter.

So how can you enjoy yourself without letting go of the caregiver role? Especially when the years seem to be going so fast. Once they were five years old going off to school, now, in the blink-of-an-eye they’re teenagers experiencing their first kiss. But every day brings new growth, new experiences, and new milestones to enjoy together.

Experts advise keeping it simple, and to be prepared for anything. Your children need to spend meaningful time with you regardless of their age. Carving out time to appreciate with your family can be beneficial for everyone, and can let your children know you enjoy their company. When you add up all the time they spend at school, day care, asleep, friends’ homes, camp, with babysitters and so forth, the remaining moments become especially precious.

See a movie with your child, go for dinner as a family, plan a picnic or an afternoon at the beach. We are all so busy, but a couple of hours every weekend can unite the family unit. Stop worrying about how many minutes you spend with them, focus on turning those minutes into memorable moments.

As our children get older, it can often be hard to find things to do that the entire family will love. To help with this, you can take turns each week with who gets to decide the activity. Baking cakes and building sand castles was great when they were young, but for teens you may need to be more creative with your ideas. Take water bottles and snacks so it doesn’t cost a fortune, and remind the family to respect each other’s interests and ideas.

Edstart has bucket loads of ideas to help keep the fun alive in your family, so stay tuned for further blogs on the topic.

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