Parenting in Sussex: Keeping the family fun simple this week

Don’t worry, it’s nothing to do with John Major and ’90s politics (the collective sigh of relief is almost audible all around Worthing). Instead, it’s celebrating the joy of keeping family fun simple, while also marvelling at the fact I have somehow written circa 130,000 words about my life since I started this column almost five years ago.

That sure is a lot of waffle, conjecture, questionable syntax and thoughts that could be organised in a more logical way. Hopefully, buried among the stream-of-consciousness paragraphs that sometimes make me wince when I read them back (I apologise, I just get too excited to get my thoughts down on paper/keyboard sometimes) are some relatable thoughts about parenting and life in Sussex.

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If not, then at least I, personally, have benefited from writing this column. It’s been a great way to document my life, and it’s been really fun to share the realities of being a parent. It’s not always glamorous, but it sure is a wild ride!

That being said, this week hasn’t been wild at all. We’ve been doing some home improvements and spring cleaning, so we’ve kept it low-key and local. But do you know what? It’s been lovely.

I’m a massive fan of days out that take me all around Sussex and beyond, as well as trips away and holidays. But when life dictates that I need to stay closer to home, I do really enjoy it. Ignoring the lockdown vibes staying local every day gives me, it is nice to take time to appreciate the simpler things.

So, this week has consisted of things like trips to the park with friends and playing in the garden. Don’t get me wrong, going to a playpark isn’t my most favourite thing in the world, but I have always quite enjoyed taking my children to parks across Worthing. When I was a kid, I would sit on a swing for hours and I’ve always wanted them to have those same memories. What’s even better about going to the park now they’re older, particularly when they’re with friends, is that they can amuse themselves and manage the equipment themselves. Leaving the mums free to put the world to rights on a bench – winning!

Garden games are more hands-on for me, but safe to say I’m now an expert at hot potato and my basketball shots are on-point.

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And then there’s hide and seek. Nothing better than trying to squeeze your adult body into a cupboard, behind a door or under a bed, all in the name of playing with your kids.

My children have also reversed the roles and have been busy keeping me entertained. Inspired by the many magic acts on Britain’s Got Talent this year, I have been treated to lots of ‘tricks’ that mainly involve things falling out of their sleeves or being hidden behind their backs. Houdini can probably rest easy, but I find their efforts very cute.

They have also treated me to lots of ‘shows’ which is actually just a clever way around being allowed to bounce on my bed. Throw in a few forward rolls and jumping over each other and, voila, a ‘show’ is born.

To calm it down a bit, we’ve also done puzzles, played board games and enjoyed good ol’ Saturday night family telly. The Gladiators final was my favourite this week, as was the idea that my son might become a Gladiator when he’s older. Trying to do the iconic travelator is still one of my bucket list items, but I might need more than a few garden games to get me in shape for that...