Fun

Okay, today I'm going to admit something.

I am not a "fun mom".

My kids are hard. I have two (or three!) who fall apart after any little (fun) thing. I'm talking very low key. Like we watch The Li*n King as a family after a day of cleaning. (Um, yeah - that D*sney thing. I so didn't remember the main theme of the movie was murder!)

Anyway, that, or an hour of semi-structured free play outside. Any little thing, and we get crazy behavior for days! This is actually after almost six years of intense therapeutic parenting. They have trained me to avoid dread fun.

But really, it's not their fault. Aside from all of the things 'they didn't ask for' (trauma brains, adoption, etc), it's my own weakness I mean.

Lots of people have trouble with providing the structure necessary in therapeutic parenting. I really don't. I am comfortable providing that level of  external control (even if I sometimes get tired). I can do that and be loving and affectionate, even briefly playful.

It's letting loose of the structure I have trouble with. Just fun!

I have a friend who is fantastic at this. I still need to ask her what she does about all the crazies that come after an all out water fight, or whatever.)

Luckily, a very wonderful man lives in my house. (Don't tell my husband!)

A recent example:

One very tired, burnt out evening I picked up a bunch of 'kraut dogs for dinner. (No health police please, but I realized none of my kids had ever had one. That is a crime!)

Anyway, below is what followed when we sat down to dinner.

Grimacing- preparing for the big show.

"Oooh, i can't believe you guys are making me eat this gross thing!

Yeah. What it looks like.

I'm soooo sick!

This from a man who likes basically everything! Ha!

The kids loved it. And as he often reminds me..."It's making a memory."

Lucky me.

How does your family lighten the intensity? 

And how do you gather in the crazies after?