Where do you want to go???

Just take the initiative. Nobody else is doing it. If the wife doesn't suggest something, take charge and thing of something youself and then do it.

yea tenoch, the only thing is that you do it like that and you get long faces all the way wherever you go, i mean is not real bad eventually we started getting in the mood to hang out wherever, but i think your right just go somewhere and cross your fingers, like today for example its like 5:00 pm and my wife is barely taking a shower, i got up early went to make a sale came back at like 10:00 am and i am still waiting. and that is every time we want to go out, she will come out in like 1/2 hour and then spray stuff on her hair until the room gets cloudy ,and then the kids start runing not letting themselfs put the shoes on.

LOL, marriage is fun!!!
hey thanks for the reply , take care

Here are a few thoughts:

Assuming that you are planning to do something say each Saturday with your family, have each member of the family assigned to a particular Saturday to determine what they would like to do. Set up some sort of parameters first - like cost, driving distance, amount of time (night thing or all day event).

The person deciding on the family event should set up the time to leave (assuming children are old enough to make this decision). All members of the family should respect the time and make appropriate decisions so that they can be ready to go on time. If you want this truly to be a family event then all members should be respectful of the decision even if it is not something they would love. It will be much easier to do something you don't like if you focus that is more important to be together as a family rather than what you are actually doing and also that you will get to choose during your turn.

Another alternative is to have alternating weekends. One weekend do together as a family and choose like above. The alternating weekends maybe have a couple of chooses - where you can split up and do things separately. This may be particularly good if you have more than one child and then mom/child1 and dad/child2 can have quality one-on-one time.

Honestly, I think for these situations being together as a family is more important and as an adult, you should be able to give up what you like to do to make your children happy.

You could suggest something,if only 1 other family member wants to go then go anyway, those who dont will regret it and feel as tho they missed out.

yea sounds good sometimes i go with my son to the bank and eat lunch , he is only 4, sometimes my 8 year old daughter goes with me fishing at the beach pier then we go eat,or the casino with my wife, the kids dont know where they want to go they only know about the park, and ill admitted i really dont like just siting down looking at them play all bored, but i get your point,
i think that is a good idea to plan and set up a time so i am not waiting all day, and barely try to figure out were to go.

thanks for the reply :wink:

When you go to the park, instead of sitting down, why don't you play with them? The idea is to have quality family time. If you are just sitting, you are not interacting with your children. Also at four years old, it would be better if you were close to him in case of falls.

Bring a ball with you at the park, climb on the playground with them and even go down the slides. You could sit behind your four year old and go down the bigger slides. I know many parents feel silly about doing this, but I say forget what you look like. I go on the equipment with my children and have a great time.

yea is true i remember having fun with them at the mcdonalds playground one day, ill try some of that but ill admit thats not my strong point, playgrounds, either is dancing and wife likes it, i know i gotta sacrifice but is hard, i know it sounds selfish but i am trying to be honest here.

I give you that you are honest and willing to try.

I certainly can understand - especially if you had a long hard week at work. It is sometimes difficult to do things that are not especially exciting to you.

Another thought - introduce some things that are interesting to you to your children. It sounds like you have done that with your fishing. Any other sports or other interests?

My husband sounds in some ways like you. He doesn't like really playing at the playground with my daughters and you can imagine how playing with dolls would be. But he does love sports - especially baseball. He introduced baseball to both my daughters (6 and 2) and even the 2 year old can now hit when you toss her the ball. He also coaches her Tball team. He has taken her to minor league games in the area.

Here is a thought for the whole family. Why not start with the wife and ask her what she wants to do and do it, and then all of you do what you want and then do what one child wants and then go to the next and never skip the rotation as one will feel left out and all will get to do what they want maybe not when they want but, it would be fair that way and no one feels like the things are getting boring or anything. Just a thought.

Best Regards

Here is a thought for the whole family. Why not start with the wife and ask her what she wants to do and do it, and then all of you do what you want and then do what one child wants and then go to the next and never skip the rotation as one will feel left out and all will get to do what they want maybe not when they want but, it would be fair that way and no one feels like the things are getting boring or anything. Just a thought.

Best Regards

hey tressie , when i do what she wants and she has a good time,, even if a am dead bored all day, when we get homw i like what she wants...... :wink: