Say "Yes" to Your Children- It'll Change Your Life

Children hold the secrets to life. Too often we overlook and push aside their comments, concerns, and conversations.  Life gets in the way. Life pulls you in every other direction but toward your child(ren).  Dishes need washed, laundry folded, beds made, and toilets scrubbed.  These things we know.  But at your knee (or hip) stands the Secret Holder. She knows the secrets to life.  Are the dishes more important?

No.


As we made homemade heart-shaped ice-cream sandwiches today for Valentine's Day, my daughter, dressed as a fairy, and my son, wearing a hat and feeding his hippo, both squealed and laughed at the touch of ice-cream.  They painted with it on the counter, licked it off their fingers, cried when it turned sticky, and then laughed again when I licked it from their cheek.  My Little Red Bird (Scarlett, 3.5 years old) turned to me and said, "Mommy, this the best day ever!"

"Can I wear ballet slippers?"
"Can we blow up the pool (in February)?"
"Will you hold my hand?"
"Can we go outside?"
"One more time, please?"

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

If you truly listen to what your child asks, it is for more time with you. More information that you know or can find. Your child NEEDS you.  Don't get me wrong, my child asks to eat some sort of dessert at least 16 times a day.  I do not say "yes," but instead explain to her the meaning of dessert.  We discuss and I let her make a decision about when her dessert should be eaten.  (Normally around 2:00pm, who am I to argue? It's healthier then 7:00pm!)  The point is that we discuss and I let her make the decision. I do not just say "No."

This is my "Lent Resolution 2013"--Instead of giving something up, I have decided to give in to my kids. For the next 40 days, I will say "Yes" more than I say "No."  It will prolong my to-do lists, and make me test my patience beyond definition. Little Red Bird is teaching me to be a better person. The Bulldozer (Emmett, 18 months old) keeps me on my toes, and while he does not use words yet, he death-deafeningly challenges every aspect of life.

By following their lead, I promise to let my mind relax... I will feed off of them. I will tickle more, laugh more, eat more ice-cream, and read (even) more books.  I will say Yes when Little Red Bird asks, and when Bulldozer points and grunts.  I will redirect and become more involved if the request is something that should not be given in to.  I will let go of my to-do list and grab on to the moments that I have with my children.