How do you enjoy your family?

Tigsteroonie

Must say that my initial response to

How do you enjoy your family?

was Roast, with potatoes, stuffing & gravy

pickledonionspaceraider

Towser wrote: »

DS10 is into gaming and locks himself away. .

Put a stop to this - and give him limited access? Mine used to be similar and I cut his times down, or he would have happily locked himself away for hours on end if i left him to it

'games night' - we used to have Thursday night as pizza and games night when mine was little - board games, monopoly etc

Towser

Thanks everyone for you replies.
We like going to Legoland together,
We like caravan holidays together. The eldest likes playing card games and chess with us but that is usually only when Autistic one has gone to bed.
I will insist the eldest walks the dog with me the youngest has no choice as I am his carer so he has to come with me everywhere (or the other way around).
We all like going out for meals but only if there is a pizza on the menu otherwise there has been glass flying through the restaurant from Autistic son.
They all please me by being cute and lovely. My husband is the handyman around the house which is great.
I may be too far along the Autistic spectrum as I dislike group interaction, unless it’s a parent support group about being Autistic ! This is usually my favourite night out.
So far the best answer is to play games and walk dog with eldest. For my group interaction I would probably work in a charity shop but worry if the other ladies are too bossy.

justme111

Watching movies with husband
Going out with him when you have someone else to look after children/ doing whatever of he has a day off and children at school.
Watching movies all together.
Bicycle rides
Ball games in the local football field/playground/green space.
Swimming pool visit
eating out
going through memorabilia box or looking at photos (I insistently print them ). I don't plan it usually , just start looking because I need some particular picture/item and then my daughter joins me and those are some of the best times.

Towser

These are all great too.

Going out with him when you have someone else to look after children/ doing whatever of he has a day off and children at school.

Yes it's great just being with him.

Bicycle rides

and

Swimming pool visit

These the Autistic one can join in too.

meer53

Is it just me or is this a very strange thing to ask ?

Towser

May not be strange if you are Autistic. I have had some strange replies though.

jayII

I don't think it's a strange thing to ask. We all have different perceptions of family life.

To answer the OP, I just enjoy mine. Mostly by doing everyday things together, mixed up with a few special times, days out and holidays. When the kids were small, I loved how cute they were. As they got older, I enjoyed their chat and their incredible curiosity about the world. Now that they're at uni, I just love seeing them in the holidays and enjoy just spending time with them.

We didn't have any computers, including tablets, in bedrooms until they were 14+ and even then we regulated how long they used them for and removed them at bed time. Everyone does things differently, but we believed that children need to interact with people most of the time, rather than with machines.

onomatopoeia99

BigAunty wrote: »

Why do you let your eldest son lock himself away for the majority of the time?

Possibly because the OP is a considerate parent? Many aren't.

If the child is doing doing his homework, then what's the problem with spending free time playing computer games? Should he be forced to sit in the lounge watching Eastenders or Strictly to be "sociable"? I know those progams are some people's idea of an enjoyable evening, but certainly not everyone's.

There's always my approach to being a child, which was head down and toe the line, don't kick up a fuss at being parented while still living there, go to university and never come back.

VfM4meplse

xxlouisexx56 wrote: »

I love spending time with my family.

We all enjoy going out to eat and the cinema!

We took our girls to a trampoline park last week. That was super fun!

I think this is great, but done frequently becomes less of a treat (it's funny how we adapt to "good stuff" so easily) and costs quickly stack up. I would concentrate on joint activities that cost very little. A days hiking in nice weather rewarded with a nice family meal doesn't cost the earth and encourages a bit of bonding.

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Possibly because the OP is a considerate parent? Many aren't.

If the child is doing doing his homework, then what's the problem with spending free time playing computer games?

This is a highly irresponsible attitude to parenting. Gaming has its place, but needs to be strictly managed so that other aspects of life, including social development, can be given the opportunity to flourish. A truly considerate parent will give thought to all of their child's needs and balance with their wants, and not just the ones that provide a free childminding service.

Of course, in the scheme of things leaving kids alone to amuse themselves is better than subjecting them to abuse but that's hardly the touchstone of parenting to aspire to!