Don't Forget the Fun

"Our house doesn't feel very fun anymore," my ten year old son informed me a few days ago. I chalked it up to late summer boredom, but agreed, we could always use more fun. He planned a family game day for us. We played Sorry!, Uno, Battleship, and Princess Monopoly (Gracie's choice).

I forgot what it means to sit down together and play games. We don't do it often, usually citing not enough time for a whole game, or that the two year olds will mess the board up as excuses.

Playing games with children often means saying things like, "Who's turn is it?" and "Are you going to roll?" Or "Don't knock the pieces off the board when you roll." And even, "Stop putting the game pieces in your mouth, bending the cards, looking at your brother's cards," etc.

It also means listening to a ten year old talk to the die, and thanking it when he gets a good roll. It means realizing how well your younger ones can count. It means finding out if his only choices of game pieces are princesses, which one your son will choose (Pocahontas 'cause she's and Indian). It means talking and laughing and forgetting for a while that the kids haven't cleaned their rooms and the wet laundry is sitting in the washer beginning to stink. It means good old fashioned fun. Our house did feel a lot more fun. It still feels more fun two days later. I guess playing together bonds just like snuggling, reading, and talking together do.

Perhaps our home really wasn't as fun as it should be, that as summer wore on and I wore out I began to forget one of the most important aspects of any relationship -- taking time to play together.

I guess we need fewer "Movie Nights" in front of the TV and more time gathered around a game board, taking a walk to the park, or playing Frisbee in the yard. I'm glad for the reminder that all work and no play makes our family dull and grumpy.

Thanks bud, lets do it again soon.