Are you an energetic co-conspirator?

No, me neither.

I used to be, I promise. I used to play alongside my children, down on the floor, joining in games, playing make-believe, building cardboard castles, looking for the craic. But now I’m just tired.

Which is a problem because my children still need to be entertained. I dream of turning them into independent self-starters who make their own fun, and while I’ve made some progress, we’re not there yet. Some days, nothing seems to work.

It’s at this point that my children ask for screens. Sometimes they whine, sometimes they rage. And I get it. Screens offer instant, effortless entertainment. But deep down, I know that this isn’t the answer. The goal isn’t just to occupy them—it’s to help them learn how to entertain themselves, to build creativity, problem-solving, and independence.

So, what can we do when we’re too tired to be the energetic co-conspirator?

The answer lies in being a facilitator, not an entertainer. Set up simple provocations or leave out open-ended materials like paper, blocks, or playdough. Ask a question that gets their imagination going—“What can you build with these?” or “Can you create a game with these pieces?”

Try this: Next time you're worn out, resist the screens. Instead, offer your child a prompt or simple tools to spark their creativity. With practice, they’ll start creating their own fun, and you can sit back and watch the magic happen.