Forever Fun #9

As a child I always enjoyed when my mom would change the furniture around in my bedroom or even in the family room. That same excitement comes from my children when we make a small change in their surroundings. I have found that rotating toys is a wonderful way for our children to enjoy the simple things and find satisfaction in playing with long-forgotten, yet long-time-loved toys. We store most of the toys and games in storage bench seats in our playroom. Every couple of months we like to rotate the toys that are accessible to the kids, and this is a fun day for each of them. It amazes me with the stories they tell as they pull out toys they haven’t seen for awhile. They can relate when they were given the toy and by whom and for what occasion. They seem to get the same happiness as if opening new gifts. When we rotate toys we also like to encourage the kids to choose some items to give to charity. This way our house doesn’t get too overtaken by stuffed animals and little trinkets. Toy rotating is also a good time to replace batteries and repair broken toys. So, give toy rotating a try. You may come to find that an organized playroom is possible, and the money to be saved by appreciating what you already have is a nice perk as well.

Forever Fun #8

"Siblings Without Rivalry" can this exist? We have two daughters who are two years apart, and then we have a three year gap and our two boys follow with two years between them as well. We have found that sibling rivalry is present even from a very young age. It is a tricky concept to understand and even trickier to deal with when it causes contention in the family. I firmly believe that one-on-one time with children helps off-set sibling rivalry, and I have found some wonderful advice from Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish who are authors of "Siblings Without Rivalry". Here is a little excerpt: CHILDREN DON'T NEED TO BE TREATED EQUALLY. THEY NEED TO BE TREATED UNIQUELY. Instead of giving equal amounts (Here, now you have just as many grapes as your sister) Give according to individual need (Do you want a few grapes, or a big bunch?) Instead of showing equal love (I love you the same as your sister.) Show the child he or she is loved uniquely (You are the only 'you' in the whole wide world. No one could ever take your place. Instead of giving equal time (After I've spent ten minutes with your sister, I'll spend ten minutes with you) Give time according to need (I know I'm spending a lot of time going over your sister's composition. It's important to her. As soon as I'm finished, I want to hear what's important to you.)

Forever Fun #7

Our oldest daughter will soon turn 8 years old. With this being a very important birthday, as she will be baptized, my husband and I decided to take her on a weekend getaway. It was such a wonderful experience spending one-on-one time with her. She made a list of her top three requests for the weekend, so she was very involved in the planning. She asked that we could go swimming, buy a small gift for her sister, and eat powdered donuts while watching TV. We fulfilled her requests and added a couple extra surprises for the weekend as well. It was such a success that we plan on doing it for each of our children on their 8th, 12th, 14th, and 16th birthdays. It's a tradition that I am sure will pay dividends in strengthening our relationships and creating wonderful memories.

Forever Fun #6

So,I admit, I have a "cheesey" side. . .and I actually find great joy in this! My husband quickly learned that I was raised with many, many traditions that are important to me, and he has been such a sport to keep my childhood traditions alive. One of these traditions is the "Birthday Fairy". The birthday fairy is a special little visitor who comes the night of your birthday and leaves a present by your bedside. Our children love this! (Plus it gets them to bed early the night before their birthday :) When I was little, I assumed everyone had a birthday fairy, kind of like the tooth fairy. When I found out that the birthday fairy didn't visit everyone, I wondered why, but I was sure glad she came to my house! So, the birthday fairy is a very fun tradition we have with our kids, and we have invited other special visitors to our home. We have a "clean room" fairy who occassionally pays a visit, and if the kids' rooms are clean the "clean room" fairy leaves a little surprise on their pillow. If the "clean room" fairy has to pick up their room, than she does, but she doesn't leave a surprise. These little fairy friends certainly add a little fun to our lives!

Forever Fun #5

I have always enjoyed journal writing. I have the funniest entries from when I was a little girl, and as I get them out and read them with my kids, it seems like they realize that "Mommy understands me because she was once little like me." Because of my love of journal writing, I decided to keep a journal for each of my children. I had their names put on the front of their journal, and I try to write in their journal weekly. Sometimes the entries are one sentence entries, and sometimes they are simply something funny they have said. Yet sometimes I am able to share experiences that have strengthened my testimony and hopefully will strengthen theirs. When I first started writing in their journals I was going to do it without them knowing, but all too often they would come into my room when I was writing, so I started to occassionally share entries with them. This has become such a fun thing to do, and they remind me and encourage me to write in their journals now. I treasure these journals, and I hope one day when they are grown, they can share them with children of their own.

Forever Fun #4

Who doesn't love getting a note? I have a friend who is the Queen of Thank You notes. I seriously have a collection of her notes, and her thoughtfulness is heart-warming. Her notes lift my spirits, and make me smile whenever I read them. I love leaving notes for my children to help bring a smile to their day. I leave them whenever, and wherever I can. They are as simple as saying, "I love you, and I'm glad I'm your mom." I also try to write them a note when they have been especially helpful or kind in some way. I sometimes post notes by their bedside, after they are asleep, and it never fails that those mornings, after they have read their note, go so smooth and the peace that a simple note can bring to our family has amazed me! I also have left notes on their desks in their classrooms when they are out at recess, and they are excited to tell me all about it when I pick them up at school. For older kids, notes are still important. Maybe they are not in paper form (i.e. email, text messages) but the words will forever stay with children young and old.

Forever Fun #3

The more children we have, the more I realize how important one-on-one time is with each child. I have gotten to know my children's personalities, their interests, and their relationships with others more in depth by spending one-on-one time with them. We have implemented a "Daddy day" and a "Mommy day" with our children. We calendar these in at the beginning of each month. The kids rotate, so if they went with Daddy last month, then they'll go with me this month. We have four children, so I get to spend time with two children one month (each on their own day) and my husband gets to spend time with the other two children (each on their own day). It is amazing how taking time to have one-on-one outings create a more peaceful home and a feeling of unity.

Forever Fun #2

To make bedtime a more pleasant experience, implement a bedtime routine. A family devotional is a great way to close the day, and it invites the spirit into the home. Our devotionals usually last around twenty minutes, and it is one of my most enjoyable time of the day with our children. We read from the Book of Mormon, say prayers, recite an article of faith, and sing a song. It really is pretty simple, and it's a family tradition that the kids look forward to each night.

Forever Fun #1

Have you ever wondered how you can get your kids excited about doing their daily jobs/chores? We implemented this concept several months ago, and it is still holding strong! Each month the kids have their one big chore they are in charge of. My kids are quite young, so the jobs are relatively simple and achievable. I do it monthly, but you could modify it to weekly if you desire. If they accomplish their job each day during the month, without complaining, they earn a "mystery motivater". The mystery motivater is kept in an envelope beside the job chart. Inside the envelope is the prize. . .which varies from going out for ice cream to going on a family outing like the park or swimming etc. You certainly can modify this to your family's ages and likes, but it's worth trying if you need some fun motivation in family household responsibilites.