Forced Family Fun

Sep 2, 20244 min read

The Summer of Mahjong

Or, Everyone Everywhere All at Once This began as the summer of Mahjong. In May and June, while my oldest son was waiting for a job to...

Apr 17, 20243 min read

Family Book Club: True Grit

A review of True Grit as a family book club selection

Jan 27, 20244 min read

Game Review: Magical Kitties Save the Day

You are cute. You are cunning. You are fierce. You are a magical kitty and it's time to save the day. Recently we used another Forced...

Jan 16, 20243 min read

Game Review: Do You Really Know Your Family?

This Christmas, our oldest son gave my husband the game Do You Really Know Your Family? My husband had given the younger boys huge...

Dec 15, 20234 min read

Forced Family Fun: Paper Chain Prank

Recently our Forced Family Fun took a sinister turn. Actually, we couldn’t agree on whether what we were doing was a prank or a gift. My...

Sep 23, 20234 min read

Forced Family Fun: How to Make it Work for Your Family

Here are some strategies for creating regular family time together with fun activities, for families with pre-teens and teens.

Aug 18, 20233 min read

The Summer Reading Role Reversal

My children are taking revenge, and they are wielding my own weapons against me. Each summer, I give my younger boys “Challenge Books” to...

Aug 5, 20234 min read

Forced Family Fun: Origami

Or, "Pick Your Paper Wisely" Recently two of my oldest son’s Forced Family Fun choices came together in a highly unsatisfying way. My...

Jun 8, 20232 min read

Family Book Club: The Narnia Series

Or "Teatime in Narnia" {Originally written August 2020} Our third Family Book Club pick was the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, which...

Jun 8, 20234 min read

Forced Family Fun: Kickball

One of our favorite family activities to play alone or with another family is kickball with an enormous ball. It's active but doesn't...

May 29, 20233 min read

Family Book Club: Julie of the Wolves

or, "Pin the Wolf on the Caribou" {Originally written May 2020} Given the success of The Call of the Wild, I give Forced Family Book Club...

May 29, 20233 min read

Family Book Club: The Call of the Wild

or, "The Wildest Book Club I've Ever Been To" {Originally written April 2020} I’ve just attended the wildest book club ever. I’ve been to...

May 29, 20234 min read

Forced Family Fun: How It Began

Recently, the five of us crowded around a newspaper-covered kitchen countertop, donning latex gloves and an x-acto knife, slicing the...