In this day and age, we have to get creative to find things for our kids to look forward to. Enter:: Fancy Friday.
I would love to say Fancy Friday was my idea, but I got it from a friend. Via Marco Polo, I watched as her whole family (dressed in their best) had a Friday night dance party, fun drinks, and out-of-the-ordinary food. She told me later, they all had a fantastic time. Bonus:: she was able to use Fancy Friday to motivate her kids to behave for an entire week!
The next week, I put Fancy Friday on my family’s calendar and let the countdown begin!
Monday: I planted the seed that Friday night was going to be extra special. I started talking to my kids and husband about what we might like to have for dinner that would be a special treat. The kids wanted pizza, and I decided to make lobster Mac & Cheese for us grownups. Other requests included: juice boxes, yogurt drinks, cucumbers, and grapes. I found a nice bottle of wine that had been shoved to the back of one of our cabinets and set it aside as well.
Tuesday: I talked to the kids about what they would like to wear to our Fancy Friday party. We talked about how it was good to plan ahead to make sure everything was clean and still fit.
Wednesday: We planned the music. It needed to be upbeat so we could really get moving. We settled on the Trolls soundtracks, which seemed to include something for everyone. Bonus:: the kids wore themselves out practicing their dance moves!
Thursday: We decorated. You can’t have a Fancy Friday party without some hand made signs, place-mats, balloons, streamers, or whatever else might be readily available. In hindsight, I should have picked a theme. A theme would have allowed me to expose the kids to something new like Italian culture or take a closer look at something we love like animals or robots. (The theme could extend into all aspects of the party as well!)
FANCY FRIDAY! Not surprisingly, the kids were a little over zealous all day. They had, after all, been anticipating this day all week. Thankfully, the thought of losing their privilege to attend the party was enough to keep them both on track.
At 4:00 P.M., we all put on our fancy clothes, turned up our Trolls music, and let loose. We took lots of pictures, burned a lot of energy, and had an enthusiastic dinner! We all went to bed, feeling rejuvenated and relaxed. I reveled in the fact that we had made some excellent memories.
At 4:00 P.M., we all put on our fancy clothes, turned up our Trolls music, and let loose. We took lots of pictures, burned a lot of energy, and had an enthusiastic dinner! We all went to bed, feeling rejuvenated and relaxed. I reveled in the fact that we had made some excellent memories.I highly recommend throwing a Fancy Friday on the calendar once in a while. Does your family Fancy Friday?
