Having Fun In Parenting

Parenting is a crazy job. It requires unending giving of our hearts and minds. It is easy to fall into the trap of exasperation, exhaustion and boring routine. There are appointments, after school activities, doctors, laundry, cleaning, driving, listening, intervening, disciplining, the list is endless. When our days begin to be completely caught up in drudgery, when we feel like parenting has completely drained us, it is time to examine what needs to be different and what should remain the same.

We absolutely do not have to take our kids to a million activities. We do not have to be chauffeurs and completely lose ourselves in our day to day lives. It is possible to take the kids to less activities and instead of basketball to have a family game night at home. Instead of letting time drain away in front of the TV, you can paint together or put on some music and dance together. There are so many other options that can be done to have fun. Our children enjoy spending time with us, even teenagers. We do not have to do what everyone else is doing. If you look around, you can see that many people are stressed and tired. This does not have to be you at all. What are you actively doing to enjoy your time with your family? Evaluate what parts of your life have become tedious, stressful or dreadful. Examine what you look forward to. Do not live on autopilot.

If you look back on your own childhood, think about how much happier you would have been if your own parents had fun with you and greatly enjoyed their own parenting. Think about how you would have been different if your mom or dad had invested in themselves and in the enjoyment of their own lives. Look back on your own childhoods, happy in certain respects as they may have been, think about how much easier it would have been if your parents had really enjoyed being parents on a daily basis. It is easy to feel joy while thinking abstractly about our children. Enjoying being a parent, however, requires much more active effort. We become much better parents when we have authority of our day to day. We do not have to continue to run around like a chicken with no head and turn our backs to our own needs.

As parents, we can enjoy our children. I see so often a subconscious feeling of resentment in parents. It's so normal and it can be better. We can make conscious and active decisions that will make us more fulfilled in our lives. We dedicate years of our lives to raise children into mentally and physically healthy adults. Why not continue to do so, by enjoying our daily lives? Our children's happiness both in childhood and as adults, is directly linked to what they see within us. They may not always follow what we tell them, but they are the ultimate imitators and much of their characters will be derived from our own. Teach them that life is enjoyable through example. Make your life enjoyable. To find out how, call today.