Yes Day!

The director of the preschool the boys attend is a wonderful woman who likes to stay involved the with the families at the school.  Periodically, she emails interesting articles about child development, parenting issues, and other relevant information.

Last week, she emailed an article about a storybook called Yes Day, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.  I had never read the story, but from the article, I got the gist of the story.  It's a special day where the answer to every question is "Yes!"  The article went to discuss ways to incorporate this into real life, but one particular line really resonated with me:

"What happens when you say "yes"? Everything changes for your child. Your child feels strong, capable, imaginative, and free!"

So, at first I thought - isn't basically every day "yes" day for kids?  I mean, our days generally revolve around their schedules and desires to play at the park, swim in the pool, ride bikes, go to a friend's house, etc...  Then, I really thought about it.  How often do I say "yes" to a question?

"Mom, can we have a cookie for breakfast?" "No!  That's not the way to start the day healthy!"

"Mom, can we get the playdough out after dinner?" "Not tonight.  I just vacuumed (which is every day anyway) and don't want to clean up a giant mess."

"Mom, can we go so-and-so's house to play this afternoon?" "Sorry guys, we have to go to the grocery store today!"

And a thousand other requests all day long, because they don't always fit into my agenda, aren't healthy choices, I don't feel like it, and any number of other reasons.  So, I started to picture what their faces would look like if I said "yes" to a cookie for breakfast.  "Yes" to the park and bikes and skipping naptime, and everything else.  I liked the vision in my head.

I'm not an idiot.  My kids are sharp and insightful and I knew it would take mere seconds before the exploitation of the Yes Day began.  There would need to be limitations.  My kids are smart, but they're still only 3 and 4 years old.  Still learning boundaries.

I decided to do it.

At 7:30 this morning, I was sitting on the floor in the Little One's bedroom, watching the Bean and him playing with train tracks and chattering away about breakfast.  So, I tell them that today is a special day.  They immediately tune in.  I explain that it's Yes Day and that, within the bounds of safety and reason, I would try to say "yes" to as many of their requests as I could.  Two pairs of big blue eyes lit up.

The Little One, in seconds, says, "Oh, can we skip our naps today?"
"Yes!" I say.  I'm feeling pretty good about this so far.  I said "yes" already!

The Bean is thinking a little harder about it.  He asks if we can go have breakfast now, and we all head downstairs.  After I get their yogurt and cereal bars and raisin bread organized, the Bean has come up with his first test of my resolve.

"Mommy, can we have a cookie with breakfast?"

My inner parent cringes.  Cookies for breakfast?  But I say, "yes!" and he lights up like I just handed him the world.  I kept my promise!  They both had cookies with their breakfast and we had popsicles BEFORE lunch.  We rode bikes, played baseball in the yard, and worked playdough on the back patio.  These are all things we do often anyway, but this is what the boys asked for.  It's been their day, all day.  We haven't done a thing they haven't asked for.  We swam in the pool this afternoon, and watched too much TV before dinner.  I said "no" to one request.  The Bean wanted to go to an indoor playground where a friend had her birthday party a couple of months ago.  The day is just too gorgeous to waste inside at a playground I have to pay for entry to.  We decided a bike ride would be more fun anyway.

The only problem we're running into now is dinner.  The boys are not in agreement about what dinner should be.  I might end up assembling two meals, but it's a small price to pay for the pleasure I see in their faces.  They are telling everyone we come in contact with that it's Yes Day!

After this busy, almost no-nap (the Little One actually went into his room to play and fell asleep, ha!) day, I'm hoping they don't ask to stay up late tonight.