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"You're no fun." My then 2-year-old son scolded me when he wanted something I wasn't willing for him to have or do. I don't remember the situation, but I remember his words. His words pierced my heart.

On that day when our little man pouted and crossed his arms, I made a commitment. I decided I would set boundaries, keep them (my 6-year-old daughter, too) safe, teach them about life, help them grow into amazing adults and still be fun along the way.

His little fit made me evaluate how enjoyable I was to live with. At times, parenting or any relationships are hard, stressful, painful and, well... no fun. I had a vision of myself as a parent/wife/friend and honestly, I wasn't living up to my part during that season of my life. I'd always extended extra helpings of grace and mercy, but my kids hadn't seen the silly side of me for a while.

I was the mom who took big kitchen spoons and glass jars to help my toddler find bugs under the bushes, let my kids draw in their mashed potatoes and rolled down grassy hills with them instead of walking down. I was fun and simply had gotten busy. Too busy to slow down for fun.

I'm sharing my story so that I may ask, how fun are you to live with?

Seriously, have you asked yourself that question lately? I've heard people claim their kids are making them crazy, their mate isn't much fun and the joy has fled out of their relationships. I wonder, who stopped being fun and joyful?

Don't assign blame, just fix the situation. Extraordinary relationships have many core principles that guide them – fun must be in the top 10.

On a scale of one to 10, where are you on the fun, silly, enjoyable meter? How would you rate your mate? Your kids? Once you've done this evaluation, get busy adding more love, laughter and joy to create your extraordinary relationships.

My Advice:

Laugh - you can't stay mad if you're laughing. I don't know about you, but I hope I die laughing with gobs of laugh lines etched all over my face. Bring the laughter and fun to all your extraordinary relationships. You'll be glad you did!

DeeDee Lake is The Connection Expert at Cherish Relations Retreats.