​Life for our family was busy long before our children became teenagers. With 3 children just 3 years apart, my husband and I hit the ground running when it came to parenting. It was like a juggling act trying to balance the many responsibilities of family and work life. It seemed like we had a schedule for everything. 

 

That’s when we introduced FUN (Family Unwind Night) into our family. This was a thought out, planned get-together that we could look forward to at the end of every week. Being “planned” didn’t equate to being complicated. In the beginning our FUN was usually held on Friday nights to celebrate the successful end of yet another week. As our kids got older and their schedules got more complicated, we would bounce between Fridays and Saturdays in order to have everyone together. The goal was to spend quality time doing something fun as a family.  

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While our FUN get-togethers changed over the years, one constant was the food. Whether it was pizza and a movie at home or subs and a baseball game at the park, the food was part of the celebration. That certainly didn’t mean it had to be expensive. We gave our children a budget and it was up to them to decide how to spend the funds for our FUN food. It was amazing to see how creative they became at making those dollars stretch each week. 

 

The FUN activity we did each week was usually based on the weather. As long as the weather was cooperative, we would try to plan something outside. It could be as simple as a scavenger hunt/walk or more involved like frisbee golf. During the summer months, we would also attend outdoor concerts and plays in our community. All of these activities were free. However, you could have a budget for FUN food as well as activities. 

 

When we first implemented FUN into our routine, our youngest was only 2, so my husband and I did most of the planning. However, as our children got older, we were happy to turn the reins over to them. The events of the week determined who was going to be in charge of our FUN. For example, if one of our children had a great week, such as acing a math test, we would let them plan our FUN for the week. On the flip side, if we knew someone had a major defeat, like not getting the lead in the school play, they could plan our FUN. With three kids, it was not uncommon for a week to hold both highs and lows. When that was the case, we divided it up so everyone could participate. 

 

This approach to our FUN gatherings had an unexpected side effect on our children… compassion. Our children started to be more aware of the ups and downs in their siblings' lives, not just their own. They became more invested in our family as they began to advocate for one another. Whether healing from a newly broken heart or nailing a presentation at school, they would let me know the good, the bad & the ugly and who really needed to be part of our FUN planning that week. 

   FUN Suggestions

• Picnic

• Mini golf

• Craft night

• Game or puzzle night

• Paddle boat rental

• Making anything homemade (pizza, ice cream, etc)

• S’mores - indoors or outdoors