Forced Family Fun

We try to have a little family time every day at least for a few moments. It mostly happens at dinner time. We actually have some serious rules for dinner time.

1. No cell phones - mostly for The BF and I (okay mostly me)
2. No TV - for the  8 year old "pseudo" step-daughter
3. If you shovel your food down so you can get on the computer you will have to sit there until the very last person is done eating - for the 15 year old "pseudo" step-son 

We don't always have a lot to say and some times we can't stop talking but I think the important thing is we try.

In that vain we try to do family activities from time to time even if its just watching a movie together. This is not always an easy thing when you have such an age difference in kids (the 15 year old is a good sport and has watched several movies and participated in several activities that he really didn't want to with a pretty good attitude). Which is why the Ex-Wife/Friend started calling family time Forced Family Fun...it has caught on in my house. 

I can't ever decide if calling it forced family fun is good or bad but you can hear me say we are a family and we are going to have fun even if it kills us. I get a lot of eye rolls and giggles.

 

Back when the weather was warm we would all go for a walk with the dogs, on one of these walks I hung back to get a picture and I noticed that the "pseudo" step-son had ear buds in and was listening to his iPod. I did what any evil good "pseudo" step-mother would I caught up to him pulled them out oh his ears and whispered we are having family time I know you don't always like us but you will pretend to and you will enjoy it. 

I am pretty sure this was not the first time he had been listening to his iPod on our walks but I am know on to this little trick of being present but not really.

Did I do the right thing, maybe? Do I remember hating family time when I was 15...yes. I thought it was horrible and my family terrible uncool. I tried to be sensitive and he is welcome to hide in his room and ignore us often. Just not during Forced Family Fun time.

Being a teenager is so very hard.