5 Easy Ways To Put More Fun Into Parenting

Parenting is a joy, but schedules and routines can become boring. Here are five easy ways to make parenting more fun.

CanCan Mom’s hundreds of creative Get-to-Do Lists, routines, schedules, and solutions all make motherhood easier and more fun! Recognizing that you “Get To Do” these things because you are blessed to have a family simply reminds you to Interact with love and laughter more often than impatience.

Have fun incorporating my unique Fast & Free Quick Steps into your daily life!

Moms Crushing It with CanCan Quick Steps to Put More Fun Into Parenting

Here are five tips to add fun to your parenting life:

1. Glamorize the Ordinary
2. Send Yourself Fan Mail
3. Surprise Your Family
4. Listen to Books/Podcasts/etc. to Liven Up Boring Chores
5. Start a Secret Stash Drawer

Though much of parenting is routine and schedule-oriented, if you are willing to think outside your daily parenting box, you can instantly add much more fun and excitement into your role as Mom or Dad—livening up things for you and your entire family.

Tip 1: Glamorize the Ordinary

I’m a list-maker and a planner—with eight kids, that’s what keeps me on track. But because I was afraid the whole house would fall apart if I didn’t stick to the schedule, my To-Do List also made me feel trapped.

So I decided to make a change. I now stay organized with Get-To-Do Lists that include some fun and pizzazz.

For example:

We pretended we were hosting a real dog show in our backyard as a way to make it fun for the kids to give our two dogs baths. Treats were given to dogs and kids for best shampooing, best brushing, best tricks, etc.

I’ve let my teen daughters go shopping in my closet instead of having them sneak in and “borrow” something.

The eternal question is, “What’s for dinner?”. This weekend, we’re going to create a drive-in restaurant in our family room, complete with burgers and shakes.

Randomly blast some fun music and have everyone in the family take part in a two- or three-song tidy-up of the family room (or any room, even one-on-one tidying with a child in their bedroom)—everything picked up from the floor and put on an appropriate shelf or in bin or drawer or put in a basket near the stairs if the item belongs in another room. Stop the music and announce it’s time to put away the items near the stairs, then play another song. Everyone comes back to the family room and crazy dances to one last favorite song. Putting cookies or brownies in the oven before you start the music creates another incentive, as treats are waiting to be devoured! Don’t forget to set a timer! Delicious aromas also help cement fun family memories for the kids.

There are endless ways to build excitement into the tedious parts of parenting. Once you try a few new things, you’ll break up the blah moments for yourself and show your family how much you care about them—and yourself—through family fun events.

Tip #2: Send Yourself Fan Mail

I found the wonderful website, www.futureme.org, where you can write yourself an email to be delivered to your inbox a year in the future. You can write yourself something funny, list some goals you’ve been working on, make up a ridiculous poem, or jot down what you think your kids might be involved in a year from now—anything you like.  

I try to write something at least once or twice a month because it is such fun getting these emails a year later, seeing what was on my mind back then, and comparing it to what’s actually happening now.

I’ve written something as simple as “You’re doing a fantastic job, Cheryl. Who cares if you burned the rolls yesterday—the birds loved them!”

I’ve listed personal and family goals as well as my pizzazz ideas.

It’s also fun to do this with a friend or two because you’ll all get your letters on the same day, and you can then share each other’s successes or laughs.

Tip 3: Surprise Your Family

Life is so busy that we often don’t stop and appreciate all the good things that surround us daily.

Adding a surprising element to the ordinary can do wonders for everyone’s spirits, including yours.

I love finding ways to surprise my family randomly. For example, under one random cereal bowl, I occasionally hide a few dollars or a homemade coupon (choose a dinner menu for next week, a game or movie for family night this week, one extra bedtime story tonight, etc.). Also, I will give my husband a plate of homemade cookies with a note as he is leaving for his job. Perhaps a Frosty Paw treat for the dogs as well.

I’ve taped silly posters to the inside of the shower so that when the kids get up all cranky and tired, they open the shower curtain and see something that makes them happy.

Last year, I took a risk and made my teenagers’ beds with juvenile flannel sheets featuring Elmo and Curious George. That night, when they turned down their comforters, we all had a good laugh.

The options are endless. I guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun coming up with new surprises!

Tip 4: Listen to Books and More to Liven Up Boring Chores

I used to loathe doing laundry! Sorting, washing, drying, and folding the laundry is one of my most tedious jobs. Because I disliked it so much, I procrastinated and let it pile up waist-high, which made me frustrated and unhappy.

When I started listening to audiobooks, I soon began looking forward to doing the laundry. (This is another way I put more fun into parenting!) I also listen to podcasts, stand-up comedians, motivational seminars, and cookbooks for variety! There are no waist-high piles of laundry in sight now!

Not only do I not loathe doing the laundry anymore, but I quite happily accomplished three big projects simultaneously on my Get-To-Do List! I reorganized the entire garage and the tool shed while indulging in an incredible thriller, Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister.

You may also enjoy 5 Easy Ways You Can Save Time and Energy Doing Laundry

Tip 5: Start a Secret Stash Drawer

Taking good care of your family is a lot of work. We’ve all heard advice about how parents need to take care of themselves first so that they have more to offer their families, but still, many people, women especially, find that hard to manage.

Here’s one good way to take care of yourself: Create a “Secret Stash Drawer” to house indulgences that make you happy.

Mine is in a box in my closet. It has fun finds that I would only buy for special occasions—and saving my sanity counts! When I see good chocolate, books, entertainment magazines, funky nail polish colors, pretty stationery, soothing teas, bubble baths, and whatever tickles my fancy, I buy them for later.

I save my stash drawer indulgences for times when I really need to lift my spirits or just get out of my stay-at-home rut. The best part is that I forget half the things I put away, so I get a lovely surprise whenever I open the drawer!

Everyone Needs Some Excitement Sometimes, Even Parents

Now, with your new Get-To-Do Lists, you can add excitement to your life in creative and fun ways for yourself and your family. Using www.futureme.org, you can write about your pizzazz ideas and outcomes, then relive your “glory days”—and maybe reschedule your best ideas on your current Get-To-Do List!

How do you make parenting more fun? For all kinds of mom-centered creative ideas, visit me on Instagram at CanCanMomCB or on Pinterest at theCanCanMom. If you have questions or suggestions, email me at cheryl@cancanmom.com or leave a comment in the box below.