Our society places a lot of emphasis on the importance of working hard and embracing hustle culture. We hear statements like “no days off!” and see people receive praise for going above and beyond the call of duty in order to maximize their productivity.
While using our time wisely and putting forth our best effort are admirable skills, it is also important to remember that when we work hard, we should be able to play hard, too.
Having fun and truly experiencing pleasure and joy in life is just as important as being productive.
For one, if we do not take the time to relax and have fun, we will just continue to build stress, which can lead to burnout and an even greater lack of productivity.
Also, having fun has positive biological effects. When we do pleasurable activities, it releases dopamine which leads to positivity and can counteract more uncomfortable feelings of hopelessness and stress.
Finally, having fun allows us the opportunity to connect and create bonds with others. Doing enjoyable activities makes us more pleasant to be around, and doing these activities with others can create lasting memories that will bring us a lifetime of happiness.
As a parent, you want to make sure that your teen is not wasting their time all day and that they are productive when appropriate. However, you should also encourage your teen to have fun!
Consider all the pressure your teen faces between juggling school, extracurricular activities, standardized test prep, volunteering, chores, and after-school jobs. If they spend all of their time doing this work and preparing for the future, they will not have time to just be a kid or to release all of the stress and pressure that they are experiencing.
This could lead to increased irritability, anger, stress, feelings of depression, and anxiety among other mental and physical health issues.
Encouraging your teen to have fun will help reduce their vulnerability to emotions and create a “piggy bank” of positive emotions and experiences that they can look back on when life starts to feel stressful.
Here are a few ways to help your teen learn the value of making time for fun:
Have fun!
While teens may not be quite as impressionable as toddlers, they still watch everything you say and do. If you tell your teen that it is important for them to make time for fun activities, but you never take any time to have fun yourself, it will be hard for you to get them to take your advice.
Model the behavior you would like to see by carving out time each week to do something you enjoy.
Do you like watching movies? Take a trip to the movie theater each week.
Do you enjoy reading? Let your teen see you sit down with a book for 30 minutes or an hour every few days.
Do you have a love for the great outdoors? Plan a camping trip or an early morning hike every so often.
When your teen sees that you can put your work away and focus on having fun, they will be more likely to have fun themselves. Plan time to do things that you enjoy (bonus if you bring your teen along with you!) without any interruptions from work to model this behavior for your teen.
Set aside time for breaks
If your teen is helping you complete yard work or household chores, make sure to schedule a break time for your teen to have some fun.
After a long day at school and completing after school activities, your teen may need a break to do something they enjoy before they start working on homework or completing chores.
If they are working on a project with you or completing homework on their own, reminding them to take a break and have a bit of fun can help them learn to have a better work-life balance.
Encouraging your teen to take breaks and allowing them to find something fun to do during their break will help them see that they can have fun without sacrificing productivity.
Identify how your teen experiences fun
It can be tricky to help your teen have fun if you don’t know how they experience fun for themselves.
For instance, you might think that cooking together would be a fun activity for the two of you to share, but if your teen feels overwhelmed with pressure about making the meal perfect, it might not be as fun for them as it is for you.
Have an open conversation with your teen about what fun looks like for them. When you find out what activities they consider to be entertaining and enjoyable, then you can help foster an environment that makes it easier for your teen to enjoy these activities.
When it comes to supporting your teen and their overall well-being, it is critical to understand that having fun can be just as valuable as being productive.