I am a huge advocate of family night. It’s a night that you can schedule weekly or monthly so that you can spend quality family time together.
We did this for many years when the first three kids were younger.
One of our favorite things to do is have family game night. PhilBillPaul and I love board games. Some of our old standard favorites:
Scrabble, Yahtzee, Pictionary, Taboo and Boggle.
Okay, maybe not so much Boggle but only because they’re all a bunch of sore losers when I win every time. I am The Queen of Boggle.
We have had many family movie nights and rotated which child could choose the movie.
Some of our favorite oldies but goodies:
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Babe, The Rookie, Fly Away Home and E.T.
I’m not a big fan of cartoons but The Lion King, Shrek & Finding Nemo are also winners if we have to watch a cartoon.
As the kids got older, we were excited to teach them how to play euchre. If you’re from the Midwest, you probably know the game. If you’re not, never mind.
Bring on the euchre any time…PhilBillPaul and I take our euchre very seriously.
The teenagers now all have jobs and our family nights are few and far between. It’s a rare night that all six of us are home together. (Which I realize, at this point, may be more positive than negative.)
Last year just after Thanksgiving, I brought home something I knew we might all have fun trying. Not that I thought it was a game or anything.
First, a little back story on my idea…
I’ve heard many stories about parents who allow their kids to drink beer and/or alcohol in their home. The parents have been known to say that the kids are safer if they’re at their house and being supervised since “they’re going to drink anyway.”
Being a non-drinker and a head injury survivor makes me extra slow to accept this logic. That and the little law we have about it being illegal.
I do try to have an open mind and just because I never drank alcohol (remember, I still do drink other liquids) doesn’t mean I don’t remember how hard it was to be a teenager and all the peer pressure that accompanied that season of life.
Back in early December last year, I made a big and somewhat impulsive decision and didn’t even discuss it first with PhilBillPaul (because I’m like that).
Remember, he’s so darn nice so I knew he’d go along with my decision because he is the Nice Dad and he just wants everyone to be happy.
Here’s what I decided…
If my kids wanted to try pot, they should do it at home and in front of me and PhilBillPaul.
Side note: We did this particular family night after Scary Baby was tucked safely in bed and fast asleep.
Incidentally, I got this idea from Dr. Oz on Oprah.
So I bought the pot.
It’s a neti pot.
What on earth did you think I was talking about??????
People, please, stay focused here. My kids do read this from time to time.
The Grunter was the first to volunteer to try the neti pot. The rest of us were more than a little apprehensive.
What a brave soul he was to go first. And he let me take pictures.
STEP ONE: Fill the pot with salt water mixture.
STEP TWO: Start the flow.
STEP THREE: Switch nostrils.
STEP FOUR: Blow and cry laugh.
Side note: The blue bowl was purchased especially for this family night. It is NOT a food bowl for those of you who have come to our house for a meal.
The girls were not interested in trying the neti pot. I don’t really blame them especially after The Grunter used it. Not really an item to share.
I told them I would get them each one for their stocking for Christmas but they said they’d rather get the traditional new socks and a toothbrush. Whatever.
These neti pots are all the rage. In fact, reading about it here made me remember these pictures and inspired me to write this post. (Check out the site – I can’t help but love the name: Dumb Little Man)
There are all kinds of health benefits associated with this “ancient SECRET” that we are just learning about. In spite of the fact we live in Pollenville where the cars turn yellow with pollen and four of us have allergies that get so bad we can’t go outside for more than 5 minutes for several months of the year, we have not taken to using the neti pot.
We prefer our prescription drugs to pot. Go figure.
It’s almost scary to realize that we’ve been having this much family fun and took pictures of the fun long before I started this blog, isn’t it? Never mind, don’t answer that.
Family Neti Pot Night has not been repeated since. But we did play Pictionary in January.
Little Lesson (LL):
- It takes courage to use pot in front of your parents.
- Yes, he did inhale and inhaling hurts.
- Using pot in front of your younger sisters can discourage them from ever trying it.
That’s our boy and we want to publicly say we are so very proud of him!
Share a Little Lesson (SALL): Anybody out there a fan of this neti pot business? Anyone have any Family Night ideas to share?
P.S. For the record, I have never used, smoked or inhaled pot in my life. Neti, or otherwise.