Growing up, a high school friend never went out on Friday nights except to the football game. Even on game nights, she was home having pizza with her parents and sister before the game. I remember thinking she must hate missing out on the pregame traditions with the rest of us, but she said she really loved their fun family tradition. Now, 25 years later, she has standing Pizza Fridays with her own kids.
One ingredient in a healthy family life that can’t be overlooked is fun. Fun in a home matters because it makes kids want to be there. When your home is fun, your kids will be less likely to look for fun elsewhere in unsafe ways. Some of us hold back on fun because it can feel like chaos and we’re already tired, but a fun house doesn’t have to feel like a carnival funhouse. Here are 5 ways to infuse fun into everyday life and make your house a place your kids want to be.
1. Schedule it.
You might think fun should just happen spontaneously, but scheduling fun is a pro-level parenting move. That’s because putting fun on the calendar makes it part of your family identity. When fun is part of your family identity, you’ll experience more joy together.
So schedule fun, like First Sunday Sundaes (hot fudge sundaes on the first Sunday of the month). Or have “fun triggers” like my friend whose family, after every fresh snowfall, divides into teams and has a mutant snowman-making competition.
2. But embrace spontaneity.
My sons love a night swim, but the one night that will forever be emblazoned on their memories is when we had the music blasting, and I got up from the patio table and strutted right into the pool, clothes and all. I normally don’t even get my hair wet, so my kids nearly lost their minds.
Letting go of our plans or structure for a little while makes the fun surprising and exciting for kids. When an idea for spontaneous fun pops in your mind, instead of saying no, ask “Why not?”
3. Get intentional about laughter.
Laughter is good for your health and a sign of a thriving family, so we need to be intentional about it. After all, there are plenty of things we are intentional about that don’t make kids smile, like homework, chores, and house rules.
Keep our jokes printable in the car for the ride to school, watch a funny show together as a family instead of splitting into separate rooms, or use dinnertime to talk about the funniest thing you saw that day.
4. Keep “treats” on hand.
My older son is a candy lover, so I have a candy jar in the kitchen that he can reach into now and then. If he only gets to eat candy when he’s at a friend’s house, he’ll see home as a place where he doesn’t get to enjoy something that’s fun for him.
It doesn’t have to be food. My younger son loves blankets, and cozying up with a blanket and a Big Nate book is fun for him. So I make sure there are always a few blankets in the living room. A fun house has the things your kids associate with fun and comfort. Having each child’s special treat on hand shows your kids you care about them individually.
5. Ask your kids for ideas.
Who knows fun better than a kid? Asking your kids what they want to do for fun not only takes the pressure off you but it also makes them the “fun commissioners.” One summer, my mom hosted camps that my older son brainstormed. He came up with the weekly themes, which included LEGO Camp, Cooking Camp, and Titanic Camp. To each his own, right?
Letting your kids dictate the fun requires you to let go of some control. It’s worth it when your kids feel like they’ve been heard and you value their opinions. When the end result is fun and feeling appreciated, it’s a win for everyone.
What do you do to make your family a fun family?
