Motherhood is filled with responsibilities, to-dos, and meeting the seemingly constant needs of our kids. Because of this, making time for fun in your everyday life isn’t always at the top of the list, but it’s time we try to make it a priority. Remember, to be able to take care of others we have to make sure we’re first taking care of ourselves. Here are some tips and printables to help you learn how to have fun as a mom and bring that element of fun back into your everyday life.
A couple years ago, I felt overwhelmed, burdened with responsibilities, and not very happy. I was burnt out and didn’t feel much joy in my everyday life.
And that’s when I realized that I wasn’t having much fun because I wasn’t making time for it. I was letting the must-dos and should-dos rule my life and wasn’t carving out time for any want-to-dos.
It was a real problem, and one that I noticed lots of moms were struggling with too.
If you find yourself in the same situation, here are some tips to make sure you fit some fun into your everyday life:
1. Make a list of fun activities.
Take a minute to write down a bunch of things you love to do. You’re not committed to anything here, so if ti comes to mind, jot it down! Don’t worry about things like time, cost, education, etc. here. Simply write down anything that seems like it might be fun!
If you need some help coming up with activities, I have some listed below. But try to come up with some on your own first!
2. Length of activities.
Next to each activity, write down about how long you’d need to complete it. This can be a range. For example, if you wrote down coloring, you could say 10-30 minutes. Or maybe it’s something you need basically a full day for. That’s fine too. Just take a minute to note approximately how long each activity will take.
3. Pick something to do every day.
Now, looking at your list, pick some shorter things that you can do every day. You don’t need to do every one every day, but you should try to do something every day.
This doesn’t have to take long. Some things only take a minute or two, like having a tickle fight with your kids or giving your husband a really good kiss!
4. Pick a time every week for a longer activity.
Next, pick a time every week to allow (or perhaps force) yourself to do a longer activity, something that takes 1-2 hours. Maybe this is a weeknight after the kids are in bed or maybe it’s a Saturday afternoon as a family or maybe it’s a Monday morning with your kids.
Anything goes, but make sure it’s something fun for you, not something that’s only fun for your kids. It can be fun for all of you, of course, but you need to enjoy it too. It’s okay for moms to have fun too!
5. Pick a time every month for a longer activity.
This would be something that’s 3-4 hours. This is great for a weekend and can absolutely involve your family if you want. Just remember the rule: it needs to be fun for you too!
6. Pick a time every year for an extended activity.
Did you have anything on your list that would take a full day or even longer? Maybe a vacation, a workshop, or a trip to the snow? Pick a time every year for an activity like this. Maybe an annual girls trip or a yearly ski trip. You can do something different each year or keep it the same. Remember, the point is to have fun, so you make the rules!
Worksheets
I created these worksheets for you to help make your lists.
The first one has plenty of space for you to jot down a bunch of activities and the time needed to carry them out. If you need more space, print more copies! The more ideas, the better! Download your free copy here or click on the image below.
The second worksheet helps you divide your activities into daily, weekly, monthly, and annual ideas, so you can easily glance at it and pick one when you plan out your days, weeks, etc. Download your free copy here or click on the image below.
Good Activities
Remember, these activities don’t need to cost anything. There are lots of good free options out there!
If you need some suggestions to get you started, here are some I came up with, both free and not:
- Painting your nails
- Reading a book
- Grabbing dessert with some friends
- Book Club
- Relaxing with a face mask
- Reading a magazine
- Kitchen dance party
- Watching a chick flick
- Going out to eat
- Bowling
- Hiking
- Shopping
- Taking a yoga or High Fitness class
- Exploring your city
- Going to the beach
- Taking a trip
- Going to a workshop or conference
- Doing an online course
- Learning hand lettering
- Making a craft
- Coloring (this is my favorite coloring book)
- Experimenting with makeup or a new hairstyle
- Trying out a new recipe (cookbooks I love to browse through: I Heart Naptime and Rachel Hollis)
- Playing a game with your kids
- Doing a puzzle (White Mountain makes some really fun ones. This is one of my faves and this is on my wishlist.)
- Going swimming
Making Time for Fun
If we’re not making time for fun, we’re going to burn out fast. And if we burn out, we’re not going to be able to give our family the best version of ourselves. Not only do we deserve to have fun, our kids deserve a mom who avoids burn-out and reaps the benefits of a fun-filled life. Plus, don’t we want to model that for our kids? Don’t we want them to grow up and know the importance of taking time for fun? Of course we do! We can be productive, successful humans and still have lots of fun!
[bctt tweet=”Not only do moms deserve to have fun, but kids deserve a mom who avoids burn-out and reaps the benefits of a fun-filled life. Learn how to make time for fun in your everyday life here:” username=”colormyhappy”]
What’s your favorite way to add fun into your life?
Britney is a wife and mom with a passion for helping other women see the good inside of them. She loves podcasts, polka dots, and dancing around the kitchen with her family.