What I Learned About Having Fun in August

As an Enneagram One learning to have fun, I’ve got a long way to go. I snap at my kids way too often. My to-do list tends to be the most important thing in my life. I think updating my budget spreadsheet is a good time. (Like what you like, people.) But I have been learning.

Since I started this blog, I’ve been paying more attention to areas of my life that were already fun. I love reading. And LEGO. And family game night. Disney can take my money any day.

I had pretty good routines around all of these interests. But since I wanted more fun, I needed to make some shifts. Here’s what I learned about having fun in August.

Childcare Helps

This is perhaps an obvious one. But it felt hard to squeeze in time for fun for me or just me and my girls this summer because my 2.5-year-old was always with us. We needed babysitters often enough for less-fun things that using toddler-free time for fun sometimes felt hard to justify. We definitely have a lot of help, which we’re so thankful for. And the toddler himself is fun. But so is sitting in silence without wondering if it is actually too quiet.

My toddler has now been in preschool for two weeks. He’s attending four mornings per week, and it has been so good for everyone. He’s having a blast. I get some time with just my girls after school while he naps without feeling frantic to squeeze in a workout and cleaning and work before he wakes up like I did all summer. And I have the flexibility to add more fun to my schedule.

When I feel less frantic, it’s easier to have fun. I still used my time budget and tried to plan my days during the summer. But toddlers are unpredictable. Sometimes he’ll sit and look at my Little Golden Book collection for 45 minutes. Sometimes he’ll try to destroy everything we own for that same amount of time. And it’s hard to plan around that. Knowing he’ll be occupied with friends and fun for four hours four times a week helps me budget in my must-dos then and prioritize fun later without those hanging over my head.

Note to self: Plan to get some more consistent help with the toddler next summer.

Like What You Like—Even If It’s Basic

Yep, I’m talking about the engagement heard ‘round the world. Text your Swiftie friends. Share the memes. Pre-save that album. And/or go get yourself a pumpkin spice latte. The temperature dropped into the 50s yesterday (don’t worry, it’s in the 80s now), and I was really tempted.

Yes, we went to Chili’s this month. Also basic. But who doesn’t love salty chips and a strawberry margarita and peanut butter pie? It’s not the healthiest choice, but it’s fun to indulge every once in a while.

But Try Something New

Since we’re in the midst of back-to-school season, I’ve had lots of opportunities to build new relationships with other moms. This can be scary for me. But I’m always glad when I say yes to a mom’s night out. So even when I’m really nervous, I’ve been forcing myself to say yes. To go. To show up and get to know new people. And guess what? It’s been really fun. (Try a new cocktail if you need help skipping ahead to the fun part.)

I also recently wrote about trying a new layout in my daughters’ room. As I said, I don’t really like change—at least, I think I don’t. But mixing it up can be fun, especially when it’s as low-stakes as which direction the beds are facing. I’m glad I said yes to this change!

Ask—and Ask Again

Our milkshake trip with friends was a lot of fun! The mom I asked was so kind and eager to make it happen. But it took a few attempts to get it scheduled.

For me, as an introvert, it can be so hard to keep trying when the initial answer is no. I was considering having this be an outing just for the girls and me. And it would have been really easy to fall back to that once the initial timing didn’t work out. But I kept asking. And she kept communicating that she did want to make it happen. And we did!

I’ve also had to ask for help a lot this month. My husband travels for work occasionally, and having one kid who naps and two kids who need to get to and from school and other activities means sometimes there aren’t enough grown-ups to go around. So the grandparents have helped with pickups (thanks!) while I’ve stayed home with the napping little guy and worked on the things I need to do to free up time for fun.

I also asked my mother-in-law to remedy my one regret from our last Disney trip. I had spotted an adorable intimidating kids pirate costume at the gift shop outside Pirates of the Caribbean. I waffled because of the price (even though I easily dropped that amount every time our family got snacks) and regretted not picking it up. Our little guy is generally stuck with our Mirabelle and Elsa costumes, and I knew he would like having something of his own. So I asked my mother-in-law to snag it for me on her next trip. She did, and he is every bit as adorable intimidating as I knew he would be in it.

Aim for One Good Moment

Laura Vanderkam recently shared the advice to “aim for a few enjoyable moments” when traveling with young kids. I think this is wise. The trip will have hard moments—maybe a lot of them. But noting the enjoyable moments can shift your entire perception of a trip.

I think this can work on a smaller scale too. For example, I knew our Chili’s trip had the potential to be a disaster. So I decided to look for one good moment (obviously, it would be that first bite of peanut butter pie). Thankfully, we had several good moments. My dress also got used as a napkin, and we had to haul ourselves out of the booth multiple times for the child closest to the wall to escape to the restroom. But we had fun being together. The peanut butter pie did not disappoint. And keeping my expectations minimal helped it feel like a pleasant surprise rather than a nightmare.

What I Wish I Done Differently

I’m not great about back-to-school rituals. We do the letterboard pictures with the grade, but that’s about it. I did take the girls to get their nails done in hopes of starting a new tradition, but the polish chipped so quickly it was half gone by the time the first day rolled around. (Side note: We tried a new salon this time. Is this normal? I felt like mine chipped quickly too, but I do a lot of cooking and dishes and laundry, Cinderella-style.) It would be fun to figure out a special meal or snack to have every year.

I also wish I’d stayed off Instagram more. Y’all, I am a grown woman, and it hurts my feelings sometimes when I see people doing things I wasn’t invited to. I don’t know how our kids are managing. Today, I uninstalled it. I still checked in a couple times on the “big computer.” But I feel a lot less compelled to pick up my phone every thirty seconds. I wish I’d done it sooner—now we’ll see if it lasts!

Little Golden Book

Something my husband wishes I’d done differently is not pick up the Little Golden Book We Like Kindergarten. He thinks it’s creepy. But I had a mini version of this book when I was a kid. (Anyone else remember these?) So I couldn’t help but pick it up when I found it in a used bookstore. I think the little girl is intimidating adorable. And I’m still jealous of those nap mats.

Did you have fun in August? Do you have any great back-to-school traditions I can steal? What have you learned about having fun lately? Let me know in the comments—I love hearing from you!

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