Having Fun With Your Kids: Enjoying the Ride of Parenting
By Lexy Capp
One of the most challenging obstacles that I face every day as a single mom, business owner and mother of three sons is juggling a hectic work schedule and finding the time to have fun with my children. However, there comes a time for every parent, and this time came for me not too long ago, when you say to yourself “it is not fair to my kids to just give them half of my attention.” Sometimes I think I often overcompensate and have gone above and beyond for my sons. We love to take trips together, go to the movies, go to dinners, play golf, go bowling and most of all laugh together. My boys are my pride and joy and no matter what happens along this journey of parenting, we have a bond that is strong and solid. We have learned to move forward in life – no matter how challenging it can be, knowing that at the end of the day, we are there for one another.
There are times when we learn to put on our seatbelts and enjoy the ride! Sometimes life throws a curve ball and one doesn’t know how to respond to situations. We have learned to stick together and that it’s best to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. Ask yourself this question: are you having enough fun with your children? If you open yourself up to having more fun with your children then you will be able to lead a more balanced life at home and enjoy a more fulfilling relationship with your family. There is a saying that it’s best to avoid extremes and that balance is the key! Part of finding balance is making time for those things that matter most.
One of the first steps you can take to engaging in fun is by finding out what your children are interested in. For example, my youngest son loves to golf. He is always asking me to go with him to the driving range and hit some balls together. I used to golf more when I was younger and to see my child sharing a mutual passion of mine is very heart warming. Recently we went to the driving range and played nine holes together and it was one of the best afternoons we spent together in a long time. My middle son is a musician, a comedian, and is going to school in California to become a hairstylist. Even though we don’t see each other that often because he lives in another state, we love each other very much and always find fun things to do together when we’re around one another. It’s amazing how different all of my children are and how they each define fun in different ways. My eldest son is a filmmaker and when we spend time together we usually love going to the movies or bowling in our free time.
Find out from your children what they love. Embrace their individuality and unique spirit, out of the same womb they are all wired differently. You may surprise yourself how similar your interests really are. Even if your definitions of fun are not the same, it is important for us as parents to acclimate to what our children like to do so that we can become better parents and lead happier and stress free lives at home.
Lexy Capp is the Owner and Founder of Nannies & Housekeepers USA. She is the mother of three sons who all grew up in Las Vegas.