To have more fun as a family, firstly, plan fun days out that you’ll all enjoy and can afford.
Go to the park and have a picnic and play Frisbee, or just sit on a bench or lie on a blanket and chat.
Go to the beach, paddle or swim in the sea, build sandcastles, explore the rock pools or play ball games.
Or go to the library, or for a walk somewhere in nature or paddle in a stream.
Or plan a mini Olympic party at your home with races and handicaps for the adults to make it fair.
Or get your child to help you plan a fun day out spending only £10.
Alternatively, if you can afford it, go to the local swimming pool, the cinema, ice skating, a children’s farm, rock climbing, dry ski slope skiing, restaurant or Theme Park. Whatever you’d all enjoy together.
Remember to take photos, to remind you all of the fun you have together.
Secondly, have regular times you’re together.
Mealtimes are a great time to catch up with each other. Make sure all electronics are switched off.
Remind everyone that you’d like the meal to be fun. And perhaps ask questions like – What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you? Name three good things that happened today.
What’s your favourite holiday destination and why?
And do activities together as a family. Plant a flower garden, bake cakes or put some music on in the living room and just dance. Make sure Dad’s included too –even if that seems strange at first.
If you can, plan one evening a week, where you all stay in have a meal together and watch a movie with popcorn. Or play board games or charades or card games.
Finally, plan how you’ll all lighten up.
Life can get so serious sometimes, and laughter is really good for you.
- So watch comedies together
- Or have a bit of light-hearted banter going. As long as no-one’s being picked on.
- Have in-jokes and special family handshakes.
- Tell each other funny stories.
- Sometimes making fun of yourself.
- And if things go wrong make a conscious effort to make light of it.
- Just smiling will help the mood at home.
- As will making up fantasy stories together or entering into your child’s world of curiosity and imagination.
So the 3 tips to help you have more fun as a family are:
- Plan fun days out that you’ll all enjoy and can afford.
- Have regular times you’re together.
- Plan how you’ll all lighten up.
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If you need more than three tips on this – or you’d like to discover the secrets you need to have happy well-behaved, children – please contact me by clicking here. You can arrange a free 20-minute (no obligation) chat to find out if working with me personally (by phone, Skype or face-to-face) would help you and your family. Contact Elizabeth
