5 Secrets to Being a Super Fun Mom

by Kat on July 13, 2011

The following post is from Kat of Inspired To Action:

source: Inspired to Action

The summer is about halfway over and it may or may not be going as you’d hoped. But never fear, you don’t need a surprise trip to DisneyLand to make this a memorable summer for your kids. You just need a little creativity and a whole lot of y-o-u.

Here are 5 simple ways to be a super fun mom and give your children a summer to remember.

1. Use Your Secret Talent

I know you have one. It may be goofy, silly or something you haven’t done for years.

Juggling, drawing, singing, origami, sewing, tying cherry stems in knots in your mouth, ventriloquism, balloon art?

Whatever your secret talent is, show off for your kids. Teach them and wow them with your skills.

No matter how dorky it is, it’s guaranteed to make some fun (and funny) memories for your family.

My secret “talent” is accents. My kids pick the country, my “job” and whether I’m happy or sad and then I have to do a little monologue as that character.

They LOVE it. They also know they’re the only ones who ever see me do that, so they feel pretty special.

What’s your secret talent?

2. Be Spontaneous

One of our favorite things to do with the kids is something we call a Pajama Run.

We put the kids to bed just like every other night and then after about 5-10 minutes, we run in yelling “Pajama Run! Get in the car! Hurry! Go! Go!”

Then we take them to get ice cream at a drive in restaurant like Sonic.

Getting ice cream is normal. Getting ice cream in your pj’s after bedtime? Awesome.

(Note: If you do this with your kids, you might want save the yelling and screaming until the second time you do it. Don’t want to freak them out. Also, we have a rule that if they ask for a PJ Run, we automatically can’t do one. This is key as it spares you from daily begging.)

3. Be a Rebel

Do things differently. Maybe even break your own rules.

Have a yelling contest. Jump on the bed with them. Spend the day in your pjs.

Have a backwards night. Eat dessert first. Have the kids put YOU to bed first.

Pick something you always do a certain way and for one night, do it all differently.

4. Follow Their Lead

Ask them what they want to do and follow along. Play tag, cars, dress up. Cook in the kitchen and make a mess. Play with mud. Build a furniture fort.

Too often we think that fun times with our kids happen when we plan something, but they equally treasure the moments when we simply join them in their play.

5. Have a Dance Party

Turn on some fun music and have a good old fashioned family dance party. Kids can’t tell if you have rhythm or not. I’m proof of that. Our children just like to be silly with us.

The Bottom Line Bonus Secret

Give your child your full attention. They care more about that than a big vacation, a thousand candy bars or all the toys in the world.

Put down the cell phone, the book, the camera, the dish towel or whatever is dividing your attention and give 100% of you to your children.

THAT is the secret to being a super fun mom.

What is one fun thing you like to do with your children?

Kat blogs at Inspired To Action, a site dedicated to helping moms develop the habits and skills they need to effectively manage their homes and raise children who are prepared to change the world. Kat loves music, running, technology, Jesus and Tex-Mex food. Not necessarily in that order.

  • http://livingthebalancedlife.com Bernice Wood

    Congrats on the birthday, what a beautiful girl! So glad you guys are feeling better! It’s hard when a bug gets passed around a household! Oh, and thanks for the links!
    Bernice

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Thanks, Bernice — we are feeling better, and we had a WONDERFUL day
      together. It was just what we needed!

  • http://www.simplebites.net Aimee

    Thanks for the shout-out! Hope everyone is back to better health soon.

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Thanks, Aimee!

  • http://twitter.com/LivingOrganized Andrea Dekker

    I voted for you in the Goji contest…hope you win! And hope your party is going well!

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Thanks, Andrea!

  • http://www.athankfullheart.blogspot.com/ Miranda @ A ThankFULL Heart

    Voted for you :) !

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Thank you, Miranda!

  • Amysfinerthings

    Thanks, Mandi! Glad the family is finally feeling better. :)

  • Myra

    Aww, thanks for the link love! :)

  • DesignHERmomma

    all these suggestions are just so easy to do as well. Great ideas!

  • http://www.farfromflawlesslife.blogspot.com Missy June

    Fantastic Ideas! 

  • http://happyhealthymama.com Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama}

    I love this list!  I think, hands down, giving your kids your full attention is the #1 thing they crave and will make anyone a better mom.  

  • KMA

    Why just for moms? My son is a single dad and is home with them this summer between semesters at school. These would be great for him too!

    • ranchwife

      Because most of the time it is the Mom that is the care taker.  She was giving us ideas……….if you are a Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Brother or Sister and you can apply this to your life and make memories than just do it and don’t try and find the negative twist.

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      The ideas can certainly be used by anyone!

    • Andrea Gerber

      I didn’t think your comment was negative, KMA, and if my son were a single dad, I might have made your comment, too. (((hugs))) I think you were just pointing it out, right? 

    • BG

      The blog is called Motherhood your way. I am sure that is why the post is directed at moms.

    • Kristinmckinnon

      When I read your comment, I heard, “Why just for Moms?!”, in a fun kind of light-bulb-moment voice!  Like the kind you’d hear from a TV show host who was excited about something and just thought of something cool to say.  :-)

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  • http://adelightfulhome.com Stacy

    I love these suggestions.  Especially the last bonus secret! It’s true. They just want you. Nothing fancy is needed.

    A pity the accents are so top secret. That would be hilarious, I’m sure!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      Will you be at Relevant? I can be bribed with some Reese’s Peanut butter cups from the Incourage Lounge. :)

  • Kristin Rubow

    Love this list!!  The “Pajama Run” sounds like so much fun.  Can’t wait to do this one night with my kiddos.  And you’re hint about not running into their rooms yelling the first time…made me laugh out loud. I pictured how startled they would be if they had no idea what we were yelling about!!  But after that first time, I can just picture those excited faces!! :)

  • http://shoestring-fashion.blogspot.com Lisa S

    This such a wonderful list and such a great reminder to just spend time with our kids. Thank you so much for sharing!

  • http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2011/07/arranged-marriage-and-the-modern-girl/ Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy

    Kat, these are great ideas!  I do think it’s worth noting that there are some kids (and I have one) who would FLIP OUT at being (too) spontaneous or (too) rebellious.  I have one child who relaxes only when he knows what’s coming next.   It could take him a month to recover from an after-hours ice cream run!  (Although, to me, that does sound super-fun, as promised!)

    Know your child, and target Kat’s awesome ideas appropriately!

    • MrsH

      I’m glad I’m not the only one whose kid would take a month to recover!  Though I love the idea, we’d have to go more low-key.  Backwards night might be more up my kids’ alley :)

      • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

        And backwards night can be SO fun! We even cut holes in the bottom of 7UP bottles and drank them upside down. So many fun things you can do with that theme.

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Thanks for chiming in — this is a good reminder!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      Great point, my friend. Thank you.

  • L.R.Knost

    Love it!

  • http://twitter.com/nocnocintn Viky Fisher

    Excellent suggestions!  As the mother of teenagers, I’m grateful to have several of these things (though the pajama run is something I might still be able to pull off with them!) … They prize my “baby voice” and beg me to do it for their friends.  These are the memories I hope to leave my girls with … that their mom was a fun gal and that being a mom is fun.  Thanks so much for the reminder!

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      I feel the same way — it IS fun, and I want them to see that in me!

  • http://www.krispybanana.etsy.com Kristiana

    PJ runs are the best ever!!!!!!

    Thanks to Kat for the idea a long time ago! Our house wouldn’t be the same without them! XO

    If I’m too tired for a ‘real’ pj run, sometimes we have an ‘at home’ run and go on the front porch with a special food or drink and play a game, rock in the rocking chair and talk, etc. They LOVE that they are able to get out of bed, no matter what they happen to do afterwards!

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      LOL, this reminds me of a funny story. One night a couple of years ago, we looked outside to see what looked like a million fireflies twinkling in the front yard. It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen! We decided to wake the girls up to let them see, but after 10 minutes of jiggling and jostling them — we even went so far as to pick them up and carry them into a room at the front of the house — we finally gave up! So for us the key is to do it before they’re too sound asleep, LOL!

      • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

        That’s hilarious, Mandi!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      Kristiana,
      I need to try the “at home run” idea. Why have you not told me this before? Also? You and I need to do a Coffee Run.

  • kariandcompany

    VERY realistic and do-able! I might even try them! Thanks!!!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      You’re welcome!

  • DMarie

    We do a couple of things here.  We are big game players (as in board type games):) so we often play games together, or we have a picnic in the yard.  I’ll set it up outside with a blanket & umbrella & lots of kid type appetizer food….they always are excited when I say “picnic today.” This can be done inside as well (on a not good weather day…minus the umbrella), you could do a make shift tent indoors.

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      We’ve been declaring “backyard dinners” lately, and the girls get so excited. As a bonus, I love that I don’t have to clean up the floor afterwards, LOL!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      We love games too. Backyard dinners aren’t much of an option in Texas since it’s about 12,498 degrees outside. Perhaps in the Fall…

  • http://www.embracethejoy.blogspot.com michelle @ this little light

    I absolutely love this list, and the PJ run is my favorite. Thank you for the pointer about saving the screaming for the second time around…I laughed out loud thinking of my son shooting straight up to the ceiling as I barged into his room with the announcment. Aaaah, thanks for the suggestion AND the laugh!

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      LOL, too funny!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      Anytime Michelle! :)

  • Simmo

    Haha! Great, and inspiring.  Thanks.

    (And incidentally, I’m a dad and never once thought “Aw, i’d love to do this but I can’t cos i’m not a mom.  Half of the point of this article is not to be bound by tradition/habit/expectations!)

  • http://joyfulmothering.net Christin

    I just had to share because when I did this today I thought of you and this post.
    I hit #2 on the head today–be spontaneous. After going to the dentist for a cleaning this afternoon, I decided to surprise my kiddos by taking them to a park nearby–the one where I got married. So I got to tell them the story and show them where we got married in the park. Then we played on the playground.

    Now, I don’t know if you can call this a secret “talent”, but I put them on the merry-go-round at the park and let me tell you, I ran and pulled that thing around and around IN FLIP FLOPS. I think they were stunned. My 10 month old was laughing. He thought it was just hysterical. Then, after running and pulling, I jumped on the thing moving. Yea. I haven’t done that in years. I was half afraid I would fall trying. Ha! They enjoyed it.

    So, once we got home, I pulled out our wedding video which they proceeded to watch. After that clip came my first baby shower followed by video of my first born. This then lead into us pulling out more home videos (dvd’s) of my second born.

    Later we went for a walk and then decided to sit on the front lawn and read stories. As dusk approached (when they would normally be getting ready or climbing into bed) we let them chase and catch fireflies (or lightning bugs), as my husband recorded the memories.

    I didn’t think of your post until I was at the park running and pulling the merry-go-round.

    The whole day was just so rewarding & watching the videos of our babes made us realize how often we can get caught up in the stress of life and forget to relax and enjoy one another. We loved it. Our kids loved it. :)

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      I bet that day is indelibly imprinted in all of your memories!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      That’s so wonderful Christin! 

  • Bev

    I read a neat idea a few days ago about making a “treasure hunt” lunch or dinner. make the lunch or dinner and hide it somewhere (I was thinking inside the grill or maybe a closet?) and then write little notes leading them to it. Like the first note could have a clue where the second note was or a rhyme where they had to figure out where the second note.. until they find the meal…

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      This is a really cute idea!

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      What a simple way to do something super fun. I love it!

  • Jane

    My sisters & I did the PJ run last year when we had our kids together.  They were so excited to see what was the surprise for this summer. 

    This summer my sisters & I shared stories from when we were kids & the fun things we got to do.  Then we surprised the kids by having some of our favorite memories for them (buckets of cookies, staying up late to watch a movie, etc).

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Love this! And I love that you do it with your sister and her kids as well!

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  • Dona B

    I loved this post!  It made me wish my girl was older so I could do some of them, so I’m definitely going to save this list.  Right now all I have to do is get down on the floor with her and nibble her toes and she thinks I’m fabulous. :)

    • http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/ Kat @ Inspired To Action

      To someone who’s youngest is 4, that sounds pretty fabulous! Baby toes are the cutest.

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  • http://unofficialhomeschooler.com The Unofficial Homeschooler

    What an awesome list! Our kids like to go to the beach in the evening after dinner and swim in their shorts. For some reason that unplanned crazy time of jumping in with clothes on just seems to light them up. Great memories ;)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Meredith-Wise/672300105 Meredith Wise

    I’ll never forget being in first grade and being told that my mom needed to take me out of class for a doctor’s appointment.  When I got in the car, my brother was there too and mom said we were actually going to drive up into the hills and play in the snow!  (It never snows on the valley floor, but sometimes the hilltops around the Bay Area get a rare snow.)

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      That’s awesome! How fun!

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