All Work and No Play Makes Mom a Dull Mommy
As work-at-home moms, we often feel the need to work long hours because we’re at home all day and often face interruptions. We know we need to tend to the children, the home, and our husbands, but we have to work, too. But all work and no play can make mom a dull mommy.
Instead of spending all of our waking hours doing what needs to be done – cooking, cleaning, taking care of the family, and working – we need to realize that our children need us to pay attention to and have fun with them. Here are some ways you can make time for family and have fun in the process.
Gather your family together and talk about how you’ve been spending so much time being “busy” that you haven’t been able to spend quality time with them. If you feel like you need to, apologize to everyone and let them know you want things to change.
Ask your children what activities they miss doing with you. Maybe you used to play board or card games with them before you got busy. They may miss the fun of building with building blocks or making clay creatures. Ask them; they’re sure to have suggestions.
Can you set aside one day a week for family fun activities? Maybe your family used to go camping when your children were younger and they really miss that. It may be that you truly can’t leave for a long weekend to go camping, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy camping in your own back yard. If it’s too cold, you may be able to pitch a tent in your living room and camp inside.
Plan a night to watch movies together. Let the children pick the movies out and try to enjoy them no matter how corny they may seem to you. If you don’t think you’ll enjoy the movie, watch the children instead. They’ll probably be funnier than the movie anyway.
Be sure to eat meals together. This one activity can do wonders in keeping your family connected. Enjoy the time you have together and let each person talk about their day. Listen to each child and you may be surprised at what you hear.
Start making plans for a special vacation during the summer. Brainstorm ideas of where you might be able to go or what you may be able to do closer to home. Discuss ways you can have fun without spending an entire month’s salary. List places you’d like to visit or things you’d all like to do, then make plans to enjoy yourselves.
When you work long hours or are always busy at your home, whether you have a home business or not, it may seem that all you do is work. Your children miss you and probably think that all work and no play make Mom a dull Mommy. Take time today to find ways to reconnect with your family and have fun with them.
