Make Life Fun

Sometimes the routine of everyday life can become monotonous and boring. We get used to doing the same things in everyday life. I know that I get tired of it and so do my kids, so try mixing things up.

• Choose a day and announce that you will be having dinner for breakfast and
  breakfast for dinner. Serve boxed macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets and fries in the morning and make pancakes or eggs and toast for dinner.
• You might have dessert before you have dinner and serve the main course afterwards. Kids love this one.
• Instead of serving a plain peanut butter and jelly sandwich use a cookie cutter and make it into a fun shape. My kids love eating their sandwiches this way. In fact I can get them to eat a shape sandwich when they refuse to eat a regular one.
• You could also arrange their dinner into a shape or use vegetables to add facial features to a plate of pasta or mashed potatoes.
• Try using unusual utensils to eat your meat. Give each family member a different utensil like a spatula or large serving spoon. Be prepared to laugh.

• Set a timer and see how fast you can complete the clean up, work on beating your best time.
• Award a prize to the person who picks up the most toys. The prize could be staying up 10 minutes later, 10 minutes extra T.V. time, or an extra cookie.
• Put on some music and do a pick up dance.
• You could also let everyone try to pick up toys in the craziest way possible, by using their hands, feet, knees, and even teeth.
• Growing up we used to make up stories while we were doing the dishes.
• Try reading to your kids while they are folding laundry or doing dishes.

• Normally I like to keep my living room clean. But occasionally I let my children pull in the dining room chairs and make a blanket tent. They drag down their pillows and blankets and go camping in the living room.
• They have also built boats in the hall by pulling out every blanket and pillow and spreading them out. It does make walking through the upstairs difficult but my kids love it.
• Get out art supplies or play dough and let your kids paint or play.

• Allow your children to stay up an hour later.
• Eat your dinner picnic style on the living room floor.
• Let them watch an extra half hour of television.