Experiment No. 1: The Leisure Co-Sponsor

The Basics

We’re Trying to Solve: Ensuring everyone has time for play
Target Audience: Families, parents and kids, couples
Ages: 8 and up
Category: Leisure
Estimated Time: One hour or more
Difficulty Level: Fun! (With some planning and follow-through)

Research shows that most people have a hard time taking leisure time for themselves. This is especially true for women. They tend to think they don’t deserve it and have to earn it, that they have too much to do, or that they should put others first. But families are happier and work better when they understand that everyone needs time to play and recharge. Here’s something that works for many families, adapted from family psychologist Dr. B. Janet Hibbs:

Directions

1. Each person takes some time to think about something they’d really like to do or an experience they’d really like to have in the coming month – an activity, outing, event, class, time to read – whatever would bring them joy. Do a little research if needed. Make a list and bring it with you to a household gathering.
2. Gather together and share what you’d like to make time for. It might be something you do on your own or something fun you want to do with others. Talk about why you want more time for it.
3. Then, come up with a co-sponsorship accountability plan (you can start with our template): It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that each person has their desired leisure experience in the next month. How will you make sure that happens? What else needs to get done to free up time and who will do it? Then, follow through and support everyone else’s leisure.
4. At the end of the month, take a moment to come together–maybe over dinner or at a special household meeting–and talk about each of your leisure experiences. How did it feel to have time to play? How did it feel to co-sponsor each other? Do you want to do it again?
5. Be sure to thank everyone for their co-sponsorship and the gift of playtime.

Connect With the Better Life Lab

Are you going to try this week’s experiment? Do you have a story about how you and your own family solved a problem with the work at home? Is there a specific challenge you’ve been trying to tackle? Can this experiment be improved? Please let us know via this form, at bllx@newamerica.org, or in our Facebook group for BLLx Beta Testers.

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