How to Be a Fun Mom: Genuine Ways to Enjoy Parenthood Without Faking It (2025)

Do you ever feel guilty that you’re not as fun of a mom as you should be? Do you wish you could loosen up, laugh more, and be a bit more playful with your kids?

Maybe your partner is the one who plays the backyard games, wrestles on the floor, or takes them for spontaneous fast food trips. That’s definitely how it works in our house.

It wasn’t always this way. I started this motherhood journey as the hero! I was the life-giver, the one who carried them for nine months and brought them into the world. For the first year, I was their everything—the only one who could feed them, soothe them, and keep them calm. But as they grew older, they needed less of the “evolutionary” mothering I’d been doing. Less snuggling, less soothing, and definitely less breastfeeding.

That’s when my partner’s time to shine began. He’s a former camp counselor, and let me tell you, he knows how to have fun. He invents games I don’t understand, hikes through the cold, and creates funny chants. Even mundane things like car washes and donut runs are more fun with him.

Honestly, who needs me anymore?

Of course, I know they still need me in different ways—I’m the one making meals, keeping the house in order, and managing their homeschooling. But somewhere along the way, I lost the “fun” part of my mom title, and that didn’t feel fair. I may not be the MOST fun mom, but I wanted to at least be a “kinda fun mom.”

Finding My Own Kind of Fun

I realized something important: I can’t be fun in the same way my partner is. That’s just not me. The worst thing I can do is fake it—because fake fun isn’t fun. Here’s the deal: I’m not going to play Flag Football or go on a Pokémon hunt. And that’s okay.

Instead, I thought about what’s genuinely fun for me and what I can share with my kids in an authentic way. It turns out, we have more in common than I thought! Here are a few activities I enjoy with them, without forcing it:

• Playing H.O.R.S.E. with my son (surprisingly, I’m great at it!)
• Roller skating with my daughter
• Baking banana bread together
• Reading classic novels at bedtime
• Tickle fights and belly laughs
• Gardening in the backyard
• Neighborhood bike rides
• Hair braiding and nail painting
• Watercoloring on quiet afternoons
• Dancing in the kitchen

These are activities that feel true to who I am, and through them, I’ve found my version of being a “fun mom.”

It’s About Quality, Not Quantity

Being a fun mom doesn’t mean you have to do all the wild activities. It’s about finding the things that bring you joy and sharing them with your kids. Fun should be authentic. By doing the things that feel natural to me, I’m showing my kids how to love life in a way that’s true to who I am.

So no, I’ll never be the mom leading backyard games or making up songs on the spot. But I’m perfectly okay with being the kinda fun mom—and I think my kids are, too.

---

Conclusion

It’s easy to feel guilty when you don’t fit the mold of the “fun parent,” but the truth is, every parent brings something special to the table.

If you want to know how to be a fun mom, the answer is simple: be yourself, and share the activities that you genuinely enjoy with your kids. That’s where the real fun begins.

Having a personal mission statement for parenting can also be helpful. If you haven’t yet created one, check out my article on crafting a personal mission statement for parenting to help anchor your parenting journey in what matters most.

Related Posts:

Need a laugh? Check out these Dumb Jokes for Kids that are actually funny to share some giggles with your little ones!

Looking for a playful twist? Get inspired by these April Fools’ Prank Ideas to Play on Kids for some lighthearted family fun.