please help me be a sillier parent

[GoingPostal]

I am on my own with ds (3.1) and I am quite a serious type anyway. I am horribly aware that when it's just the two of us he doesn't laugh much and I know I am quite down on him - lots of trying to get him to behave and not enough laughs and silliness - being silly doesn't come naturally to me.

Can anyone give me any simple ideas on silly things that you do or say with your dcs please? I feel like a very cross strict parent at the moment and really need to find a way into changing things to make our home fun. In particular fun ways of getting them to do stuff, but also just general nonsense.

For example, I have cracked getting him upstairs for his bath - I suddenly shout that I'm going to be first up the stairs and leg it for the door - cue race up the stairs and much hilarity. It feels great but I need to find more things like that.

I often feel I'm too silly for my DCs we are always laughing about something, mainly physical stuff like silly walks, funny faces, funny voices etc.
I'll tell them stories about everyday things and just cartoon it up a bit, the more ridiculous the better I find.
I can see it will be hard for you if its not in your nature to be lighthearted, I know I'd find it difficult to be serious all day.
My dcs are aged between 2 and 11 but all laugh at the same sort of thing.

Handing over your make-up bag to your pre-schooler in order for them to "paint your face" is always bags of fun, I have found

I have to really be in the mood for this, though...

I think the advice Hassled gives about not thinking of other stuff that needs doing is great advice. It relaxes you so that you feel more like having a laugh.

I just do silly stuff with them when the opportunity presents itself and if I am in the mood. Bathtime is a fun time - giving them mohicans and horns etc. Generally anything that makes them or you look physically silly is good and guaranteed a laugh.

I tickle them most days. I also chase them round the garden and the house a lot pretending to be scary. DD (3) loves hiding, so sometimes I pretend I can't see her even when she's in front of me. I ask DS where she is, he plays along too. She thinks this is vair funny.

I guess its about finding out what floats their boat and trying stuff out when you're both in the mood.

Or liven up a dull as ditchwater Thomas book by doing the characters in various regional or international accents

Hide-and-seek always gets a laugh

notnowbernard - ds would love to have control over my make up, must try that when we next have nowhere to be in a hurry.

now a variety of accents for books I can do but it is over ds's head. amuses me anyway.

many thanks for all ideas, if there are more that would be great. I will start doing my best from tomorrow!

we play chase alot which is very funny

I say in a mock stern voice "You absolutely must not come and tickle my toes/neck/tummy etc", and of course they cannot contain themselves not to, I make a big deal of laughing my head off, and mock telling off, they creep away and it starts again.

Silly variations of ordinary games- "whats the time Mr wolf Poo Poo brains?"

Dancing competition, put on some music you like and you have a dance off with your kid, take a turn to go into the middle of the room, and really let rip. The more outlandish the shapes, the better.

I tell them I am going to change my name, and they will ask me what to and I will say something daft like "Table-Banana Bottom the Third", this can go on for a while, and then I change their name and things I can see, and then encourage them to do the same.

What a good thing to ask! My parents were great with me but one thing I wish is that there'd been more humour and silliness around!

I find that DD (2) loves it when I spout nonsense ('shall we have crocodile for dinner?'), the more surreal the better. She's just starting to join in herself - eg points at dog and says 'it's a kangaroo', then laughs herself stupid. I'm so proud.

I'm still on the silliness learning track - also guilty of being fairly serious-minded , but there is no sound on earth that I like more than DD's laugh, which is good incentive. Plus I find with silliness that the more you do it the more naturally it comes.

Go outside and 'look for the nook' - don't say what a nook is, let him tell you. Check under stones, apologise to every creature you disturb while looking 'sorry Mr Snail we were looking for a nook, are you enjoying your breakfast - look DS he's eating a teeny tiny banana' etc.

Go to a DIY store and get a big box, hide in it and jump out pretending to be 'Boxmum'

Have a waterfight in the garden.

I love "look for the nook!"

GoingPostal I know just how you feel being fairly seriously minded myself

I am learning from dh, who is immature and annoying yet manages to have dd in stitches with his silly accents and funny faces

i am copying him, and I agree with whoever said watch someone who is good at that sort of thing

tonight I've been pretending the wind changed when I pulled a face and telling dd I'm going to parents evening like that
she also loves funny accents, particularly when I do Leggy Leggington, our posh Barbie

good luck, it's good to be the 'fun' one occasionally, especially when you're always the enforcer, hurrying them along and brushing teeth etc

Dance for them. Put the radio on and do stupid dancing. Race to sit on their chair before they get there. Give them fireman's lifts and squat down to let them get things. Make and house from two dining room chairs with a blanket over it and host a tea party. Once you start I bet you find you can't stop

My ds 2.5 loves it if we pretend to injure ourselves in a slapstick type fashion , for eg, pretending to trip etc

He likes it if there's music on tv and I just dance around as stupidly as possible. I don't do this all the time, just occasionally for a minute or so, brightens the mood and he laughs and says 'silly mama' etc

He likes being picked up/thrown about/tickled/a bit of rough and tumble.

Dh often pokes his nose and makes a horn sound or pulls his ears and gives them some sort of sound effect iyswim.

Hmm, silly voices are always appreciated.

Pretending to be various animals seems to go down well, in particular a monkey will often distract him out of a tantrum

Wearing silly hats/masks.

Playing games like hide and seek/peek a boo.

It's nice you're trying to be siller, i'm sillier than I used to be, you kind of have to remind yourself they like that stuff and the more you do it the more natural it seems.

Postal I was thinking about this thread last night (I need to get out more) and I wondered if you are as serious as you think... When we're at home, I can be a bit "when I've finished this" or "NO! Stop mauling the cat/peeing on the floor/destroying the sitting room/etc" and I think that's normal, not stern IFYSWIM. One thing I do though is decide when DD (2.9) asks me to do something whether it's going to delight her if I join in. For example, if she asks me to get in the bath with her, I sometimes do. We dance a lot and also silly things like pretending there are monsters (who have to be got rid of - we have a special way). That kind of thing. It's more the spontaneity etc. I don't enjoy playing on the floor with trains or doing the dolly thing particulary.

Or balloons. They all seem to love balloons. I keep some for emergencies ie desperate need not to play!

My girls end up in stitches or cringing when they see me dancing. A bit of feel good music and daft booging is a great way to have a chuckle with the children.

Lots of great creative ideas here. Try and think of them in that way, as creative, playfull, inventive,imaginative etc. If you are naturally serious the word silly may be a barrier, or have negative associations.

To add to the above i'd say changing song words is a good way to start. Or try someone like 'they might be giants' or Ivor cuttler for giggles.

Also try making masks (paper plates with eyes cut out and string for a base) then play at being your charactures. You can make them dens with boxes. Clothes horses etc-or even just masking tape on the floor...it pulls up easily after. The more surreal the better!

Water fights, or fights with grass clippings, leaves etc, are fun.

Draw on outside walls with chalk then shoot water pistols at it (i know some may be wary of this)

Relax in to it, only do it away from prying eyes if that helps. But always remember, you are clearly a very caring parent, aware of your ds's needs. This is the most important thing of all. No one can be all things to anyone (no matter how we try) so also try and ensure he has opportunities to be with people who are naturally more inclined to comedy. You'll pick up ideas from them too. good luck'

great thread! this is one off DD's favourites (and the sequel).

I'm gradually getting better at silliness, and DD has a fantastic sense of humour.

You need to know your audience though. before we met, DH once sneezed and pretended his brain (a raisin) had come out of his nose - his DD got hysterical and wouldn't calm down until he 'put it back' by shoving it up his nose!!!

Belle - thanks for thinking about this!! Yes I do a lot of "no not now / get down / don't ..." with ds, which as you say is fine - but needs to be balanced with something a bit more lighthearted.

I am so grateful for all the ideas. Really hope to make a difference with this.

love this thread... I too am fairly serious so got loads of ideas on how to be silly.

this is a great thread, am making mental notes whilst I read.

Currently I:

• Tickle...a lot
• Pretend to be a monster and chase DD around the flat/garden
• Turn music on in her room and collectively dance like a maniac for a few minutes
• Occasionally (if I have the energy to clean up all the water afterwards) have a water fight whilst DD is having a bath - it starts with a little bit of splashing and ends up with water dripping off the ceiling (and I wonder why she splashes everyone at swimming lessons!)

yy manic dancing, and 'I'm going to get dressed now, dd3, do I put my knickers on here [on my head)]?' etc etc

Also the 'Why are you hitting yourself?' game, where child is sat on lap and you're (gently obv.) tapping child with their own hand - for some reason this is hysterically funny, the more indignant and confused you pretend to be.

Just do what comes naturally. I'm crap at injecting humour into things that need to be done, and to be honest it doesn't even occur to me. But DD (3) and I still laugh. Maybe we just pull a lot of faces.

Lovely thread!

Mine are at the age now when everything I do is embarrassing and not funny. (In fact when my DS2 hears a really crappy joke now he rolls his eyes and says "Pfft, worse than mum)

Anyway - I used to do a LOT of silly accents and nonsense language. Quite a bit of tickling tortures. A reasonable amount of water fights in the back garden... and now? Now I'm just a bloody embarrassment...

Aw enjoy this bit, because it really does go so quickly

This is a nice thread, lots of fun things to do! I have been having a nightmare getting mine to eat nicely at the table, but have had some success today by being the 'cafe owner'. I talk in a silly accent, invite them to the table, read them a menu, pretend to write order etc and for some reason this is utterly hilarious. Mostly the voice I think! (And I stop the minute they start mucking around, and the cafe owner only returns if they are sitting nicely).

My parents, esp my dad, were extremely silly and fun. They still are now, we have a lot of fun together. Good luck. x

OH! and that wow-wow-wow cowboys and indians thing used to have us all in hysterics.