 Family Fun
By: Roxanne Estrellado – Limjoco
My brothers and I grew up in a military base. Although utilities were free, we were still taught to conserve electricity and water. Both our parents worked as employees so we were also taught the value of money.
Loving Memories
My Papa would always recount how in his college days, he would have to walk many, many miles to the theater just to watch a movie. My mama on the other hand, in her first year of marriage, had to ride the bike everyday because they had no refrigerator to keep their meat, fish and vegetables fresh. To this day, my parents would think about how hard life was for them.
As their children, we were sent to good schools with hopes that we would never experience even half the hardship they went through. Eventually their hard work and sacrifice paid off because as a family, we were able to travel and live a comfortable life.
My brothers and I love to reminisce about how we would commute everyday to school, how our fried chicken became smaller as we grew older or how we said goodbye for three consecutive days to our neighbors only to come back because we were chance passengers (my mother worked for the airlines).
Upon hearing our stories, Mama would always feel sad thinking we only saw the bad side but in reality, these memories are part of the good side. We weren’t deprived of what was important in a family. We had love and laughter. These experiences are what molded us into what we are today.
Fun and Money
These are the same lessons that I am now trying to impart on my children. I try to pass on to my children what my parents taught me about the value of money. However, I’ve learned not to overdo it. I took my eldest son grocery shopping when he was five years old and he kept asking me if I could pay for all the items in my cart. He looked so concerned and scared that not once did he ask me to buy anything for him. I told him to stop worrying because I would not get anything I couldn’t afford.
There are many ways of having fun without spending so much. Once, my daughter told me, “I like it best when you play with us.” It wasn’t the trips we made, the toys we bought, the clothes we wore or the house we built, but it was the fun we had. With our busy schedules, we often forget this. The times that we are home, we are so tired that we want peace and quiet in the house. But when will we have time for fun? Children grow up so quickly. I’d like to share with you what my children consider fun and what I consider “frugally” fun.
Dinner Stories – My youngest son’s favorite dinner activity is to talk about how they all were when they were younger. We would talk about their birth to their funny antics. They also love stories about their own parents. Often we end up laughing so hard recalling all our funny memories.
Puppet Show – When my children want to hear stories, I would get one or more of their stuffed toys and make them sing or dance. You don’t have to be a great ventriloquist because that’s what makes it funny for the kids.
Car Games – In the car, we often play a finding game. The child with the most number of finds is the winner. You can look for Volkswagen beetles, which is our favorite thing to find, or anything along the road.
Board Games – As children, my brothers and I enjoyed Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Boggle and other board games. I try to introduce my kids to these games so they won’t always watch TV or play computer games.
Camping – Kids can go camping right in their own backyard. Set up a tent, put in sleeping bags and snacks. If they are brave enough, they can sleepover or just spend their time stargazing.
Outdoor Fun – Remember the games we played when we were younger? I taught my kids how to play piko, patintero and step no / step yes. Just supply them with pieces of chalk and let the games begin.
Arts & Crafts – I let my children do whatever they want to in their rooms. They can make their own artwork and stick them to the walls, doors and ceilings. They especially like it when we prepare for the holidays. They enjoy being part of the preparations.
Chef Wannabes – My children love to experiment with food. I let them mix whatever they like as long as they will eat their own concoction. They like making odd flavored milkshakes.
Weekenders – Every weekend my friends and I have a get-together with all our kids in one of our homes. The grown-ups spend time with each other while the kids play until they fall asleep.
Couch Potatoes – When we are all lazy, we just want to be couch potatoes. We would all get our favorite snacks, sit on the couch and watch movies the whole day.
I want my children to remember how much fun they had growing up, in the same way that I remember my childhood. Fun doesn’t come in expensive packages. It comes in spending time with your family.
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