How to Be a Fun Mom

Last updated on June 23rd, 2026 at 03:42 pm

I think this is something many of us think about: how can we be more fun? It feels like a strange thing to think about, but I think moms in this era always feel like they’re failing their kids in one way or another. Often, we feel like we’re not fun enough, or we simply want to feel like we’re having fun when we’re with our kids. It should be fun for everyone. So, let’s talk about how you can actually do that.

Take care of yourself first

If you’re touched out, if you haven’t eaten, if you feel gross, you’re not going to be fun. You’re going to be grumpy, even if you’re faking it. Remember, the goal is for everyone to have fun, and kids can also pick up on it when you’re secretly burned out. So, get outside, get some exercise, make sure you’re eating, all that jazz.

If you’re like, “But Erin, I have no idea how to do that,” I’ve got you covered with a huge guide that’s all about how to take care of your well-being as a mom. Check it out!

Teach your kids to play independently

This might seem counter-intuitive, but if you are constantly entertaining your kids, you’re going to get burned out. The key to being a fun mom is to be able to be totally present with your kids, which means, naturally, you can’t do it all the time. So, if you teach your kids to play by themselves, it makes your play time with them extra special, which will make it more fun.

Take them to places where you’re not stressed

Here’s the thing: I hate playgrounds. I know I’m not supposed to hate them because it’s fun for them, but I hate it. You’re constantly chasing after them, so they don’t fall off one of the edges of death, or you’re at the bottom of the slide to catch them. It’s just endless. (Their dad loves it, so I just let him do it.) I tend to take my kids places where they can just be, and I don’t necessarily need to be on them every single second.

For example, I take them to rail trails where they can just walk ahead of me safely, or we go hiking (I love this toddler hiking backpack for my baby!). We took them to the beach the other day, and they just ran for like two hours. They were thrilled, and I could mostly just let them go and stand on the edge of the water with them.

That might not work for you but take them somewhere where you can feel calm and happy. If you’re worried the entire time, you’re not going to have fun, and you’re not going to be fun.

Involve your kids in things you love too

I’m a big fan of making things family-centric over kid-centric. It teaches kids how to be out in the world, and it teaches them that everything can’t revolve around them. This doesn’t mean you do things they’d hate, but it does mean you should do things because you’d enjoy it. This is especially easier if you’ve got younger kids that you can pop into the stroller or the wagon.

Go to museums and tell them all about the art. Take them out to eat and bring activities for them. (I personally love this busy board for restaurants!) Go for walks through the pretty neighborhoods you love. If you’re not just constantly doing kid things but finding things you want to do while involving them, it could be easier to have fun. So, build things for you into the schedule too – not just things for them.

Play your own music

I know that these tips are fairly you-centric vs things for your kids, but I think the more you involve your kids in your life, the easier it is to be fun. I personally have a rule that we don’t play any kid music in the car because I would lose my mind. So, we listen to The Beatles, Josie Edwards, The Oh Hellos, or really any adult music that doesn’t have inappropriate lyrics.

Teach them to love your music, so you can dance to it and sing along to it and have organic fun with them because it isn’t “Wheels on the Bus” for the 80 millionth time.

Let things go

We’re kind of trained to have strong stress responses to things, and we have to remind ourselves that everything is not life or death. I would recommend getting a mantra to say when things are annoying you, but they’re not actually a big deal. They don’t actually matter; you’re just frustrated.

My thing is “Not a tiger” from the book Mundane Magic, and it’s about not reacting to everything like there’s a tiger chasing you. So, when my kids are doing something ultimately harmless but it’s just bothering me, I repeat in my head, “Not a tiger. Not a tiger. Not a tiger,” until I’m able to let it go.

Yes, quite frankly, if you want to be a fun mom, you have to take care of yourself and not have everything revolve around your kids. I can tell you to do things like movie nights or get outdoors or do water play together. But my guess would be you know these things. My goal was give you practical tips that will help you regulate yourself so fun comes more naturally. That’s the main objective: you having fun so they have fun too.