We were driving home from the city when I heard my favourite sound in the world bellowing from the back seat.

It was my daughter, Squish, letting out a full-bellied giggle.

Sitting next to me was my wife singing a silly rendition of The Wiggles’ Hot Potato while pulling faces at Squish.

(Admittedly, it’s possible Squish was also riding a sugar high following our ice cream outing — a rare treat in celebration of my wife’s birthday).

Moments of laughter are delightfully frequent in our household. I’m not sure if that’s normal but I believe it should be, because family and fatherhood are among the funnest things in the world.

At a time of dropping birth rates, broken families and a loneliness epidemic among men, here’s a message for every father: have fun with your family!

Fun is Free

There is a misguided perception in our culture that fun is something mainly to be purchased through new products or experiences.

To be sure, financial security is important for families. But it’s also true that some of the happiest memories are made, not at theme parks or cinemas or as new toys are unwrapped, but in ordinary, day-to-day life.

Like our drive home from the city.

Finding fun outside of financial transactions is an essential skill for fathers. It forces us to focus on relationships. It requires us to cultivate fun as a way of life. Best of all, it means that fun can happen at any moment, not just when your bank account is in great shape.

Fun is Fundamental

Squish is a very serious learner. When you talk, she studies your lips with great curiosity. She’ll read books for half an hour uninterrupted. Her current subjects of choice are farm animals, counting and nursery rhymes.

Sometimes, Squish will only settle at night after talking to herself for half an hour or more. We’re convinced this is her way of winding down from so much intense learning every day.

Squish’s studiousness is no reason to forfeit fun. In fact, it’s the very reason she needs to unwind with a giggle or a dance or some other silly antic initiated by Mum and Dad.

It’s a universal truth that children love being silly. Nor is this a some discovery from recent decades. Just the other day the song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from the 1964 film Mary Poppins was playing in our house, and it reminded me that children have always longed for fun, regardless of the era in which they were born.

Fun is fundamental to childhood — like food, sleep, love and every other basic need a child has. So make sure you provide it for your little one!

Fun is Found with Your Family

Many men make the mistake of thinking their best fun is to be had outside of their families.

Don’t get me wrong — men need time alone, time to pursue their hobbies, time to relax, and time to pursue meaningful relationships, with other men especially.

But as fathers, our purpose in these activities should not be to escape our families. Rather, these pursuits should refresh us for our main calling back at home as patriarchs, providers, protectors and pillars for our loved ones.

Have fun in everything you do in life — but be most intentional about having fun when you are with your family.

Your wife will appreciate it, your children will love it, and you will be the best version of yourself.

Do you have any other tips for cultivating a life of fun with your family? Let us know in the comments below.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.