The Boy and I have created a tradition called Fun Friday.  It was born out of some evening scheduling problems we had which basically boiled down to The Boy thinking I could drive him all over God’s Green Earth to go do whatever he wanted on a school night, expecting to do so, and then having a meltdown when it just wasn’t gonna happen.  His teacher suggested designating a night or two where he could choose the evening’s activities, with the understanding that all of the other nights were up to Mom.  I gave him Friday, thinking that if we really did have to drive a bit, at least we wouldn’t have to worry about getting enough sleep to wake up at 6am the next day.  It also tends to coincide with payday.

We still had to get in the routine of him telling me what he wanted to do ahead of time, so that the appropriate plans could be made, but he has the hang of it now, often telling me what we will be doing the next Friday immediately after this Friday’s activity is completed.

Ask anyone, and they will tell you that I break my back to keep my word to my kid.  This is in large part because I want him to know he can always count on me, even if he can’t count on the other parent adults in his life.  So, I must bite my tongue at times, allowing him to truly choose our destination, as long as finances and gasoline will allow.

Some of his choices are a great deal of fun (the zoo, bowling, the movies), while others are not (Chuck E. Sneeze’s, Bounce House, Jeepers).  He has been known to be open to suggestion, too, which allows for a little exploring of our area, and finding new places.  These are always learning opportunities, and a great way for him to practice social skills in new settings.  He also tends to sleep well after our outings.

Finally, it is one more way for the two of us to connect.

Do you do this with your kids?  If you don’t have a set date with your kid every week, do you think it’s something you could try?  Let us know in the comments.