I feel the balance is off in our family. We spend all our free time only doing what our son wants to do, within reason. But we never seem to be able to convince him to do anything me or his dad would enjoy as well.
I'm not talking about inappropriate expectations, I don't think, like trying to make him sit still reading in a coffee shop or something (which we used to do a lot of before he was born). Like today we took a picnic to a kids music festival outdoors, specifically designed for children, there were loads of them dancing around happily but ours just moaned and moaned until we gave in and left. His dad and I love music and never get to see it live anymore, just thought it would be fun to share that with him in a child-friendly way.
The thing is he just has very definite ideas on what he feels like doing and if we try something else, he won't cooperate. Maybe we've given him too much choice or something.
If we go to a museum he just wants to press buttons on displays, obviously we don't get to look at anything. I am involved in community activism but he won't join in that either. None of us enjoy sport at all. Even when we watch movies together, he's ONLY interested in his own very limited choice and won't watch any family movies we suggest (I cancelled Disney + because he would not watch ANYTHING on it!)
So we just end up doing endless kids stuff like playgrounds, soft play, kids' attractions which is fine, clearly they are important but it's so boring if you never do anything else outside of work and chores.
I get that with babies or toddlers you need to do stuff on their terms but he's nearly 7, I feel like it's not asking too much for us to be able to enjoy ourselves too. When he started school I did have that feeling that I was finally getting a bit of my own life and interests back, but it makes me sad that that only happens when he's at school or asleep - can't we share it? I don't know how to express this really but surely shouldn't family time work for all the family not just the child?
I'd love to hear how people find that balance between what they enjoy and you would enjoy. I know we've only got a few years before he just wants to hang out with his friends.