Have you noticed that fun people do not usually end up being fun parents? Remember fun-Bobby? Most of the grown-up’s fun element is directly proportional to the quantity of alcohol (or other nerve-loosening agents) in their bloodstream at any given point of time! Sad truth.

And trust me when I say that, playing adult to a child is often not fun. It is more stressful and frustrating to say the least. This is just one of the reason Parenting is so difficult.

The equation is so one-sided. You are the adult. The kid is well,the kid! As an adult you have to fit into so many roles. Mother/ Father/ Teacher/ Mr.know-it-all/ Ms.I-have-an-answer-for-everything. Your kid expects you to be grown up and act as their personal encyclopedia.

They obviously get answers from Google for the simple questions. They come to you with the difficult ones. You have to sound confident, wise, preachy and convincing about stuff you are not sure about yourselves! Ahh… this is not fair. Being an adult is not fair.

Well, have you considered changing the equation? Ever-so-slightly? What if you make parenting fun too? What if you learn about stuff along with your kid?

What if you can admit you don’t know the answer to all the questions, perhaps you guys can find it together as a team?! Here are 5 ways to fun Parenting. Tried and tested and definitely fun!

1) Stay Curious. Engage with your kid.

Be interested in what your kid has to tell you. This requires some good amount of attention from your side. You might want to keep your phone away while lending your ears for you little ones’ day at school recap. Ask questions! You’ll not be bored if you can keep up your curiosity and improv on the what-if stories!

Be an active member in his games. Give him some time from your schedule where you just play along with him. However crazy the game is, ask questions and make your interest known!

2) Engage your kid with Stories

What is more fun than stories? MORE Stories!! And it doesn’t have to be fables and fairy tales all the time. Studies show that kids connect with concepts easily through stories. Storytelling is a proven method for making ideas stick. Try to make story telling a part of your lives. Your kids will learn the art of narrating and connecting with emotions and appropriate social behavior through the stories they hear.

They will grow up to be good story-tellers themselves!! Make sure to include characters, situations or places your kids can relate to. Use stories while you teach them concepts. You’d be amazed how easily kids relate to a story vis-a-vis an arbitrary concept.

3) Cuddle Time

Kids crave for physical cuddling and pampering from their loved ones. Make sure to stimulate your little ones’ sweet spots. Tickling your kids and cuddling them once in a while is an amazing way to keep the bond strong and to feel alive in general!! Check out this Huffingtonpost link.

The peals of laughter and flushed-cheeks itself are proofs that the magic is working. It’s simple. Your kids end up thinking you are fun to be with when you play along with them. The physical affection proves to them that they are special and cared for immensely. And don’t restrict it to toddlers. A warm embrace coming from a parent is welcome at any point of life. Aint it?

4) Eat Kid-dish or Adult-ish. But always Family-ish.

Many a times, there is real friction at home around the food your kids eat. This is more-often-than-not where there will be fault lines in the relationship and kids start hating their parents. Be it your 8 year old or your 13 year old. Maybe it’s good to have rules in the house that everyone eats the same set of dishes. Food is for family. Everyone shares the same food. Its good to go fries and burgers one day. Salads and Pastas the other.

This will bring in variety nourishment as well as much needed food-discipline in the family. This is how our ancestors used to eat. Rather than going for the Food Corporations’ definition of the food your kids should eat, make up your variety menus and make cooking a family ritual if possible. Many families who have tried this out says it is therapeutic at best.

The social skills, team skills and life skills that your kids get out of a cooking exercise are just side effects. Kids appreciate food at the table more when they work with food in the kitchen. Kids appreciate the family time and relate to their folks better. This requires a good measure of commitment to good health and patience to reach the goal.

5) Be a kid yourself

Take things easily. You don’t have to ensure the correct functioning of the cosmos. Chill. Take it a day at a time. We understand that it’s easy to say. But it is important to say it here all the same. Its proven that having a relaxed outlook towards life will ensure better mental and physical health. See how the kids do it?

They don’t worry about stuff they cant control. They know there is not much they can control. We forget it as adults. Go with the flow. Grow up with your kid. Its a wonderful opportunity!

Do keep in mind that, any given day your kid looks up to you. He wants to grow up and handle the world just like you do (He eventually will do too). The way you live is the biggest lesson you’re teaching him. Choose your lessons wisely 🙂

Were your parents fun or terrifying? Share your stories of growing up with us here!!

-Love ‘n Laughter

Anna