Four Ways to Make the Everyday Special
Our kids require a lot time and attention, don't they? They have all kinds of needs and desires clamoring to be met. At the same time, small children are amazingly easy to please, even delight. As we go about our everyday routines with them, it takes only a bit of imagination and effort to transform the mundane into the magical.
The best ideas for turning the same-old-same-old into something special generally come from our kids. They know how to play, and can make anything into a game. Here are a few of their ideas that have livened up our days to great effect.
Yes Days! When you find yourself saying "no" more often than you'd like, when, indeed, you start to feel like a broken record that keeps skipping back and forth between "no, no, no" and "stop," then the whole family may be ready for a "yes day." Pick a day that has no other big agenda, and within the bounds of safety and reason, start saying yes. You'd like to do finger paints and play dough and beading all in the same morning? Okay. You want to have pancakes and bacon for lunch? Sure. You'd like us to linger in the playground until the sun goes down? Yes, we can, this time. Surrendering to your child's whims may be exhausting by there is also something exhilarating about letting go of some of the usual rules and schedules and just saying yes.
Pajama Days are another way to turn a regular day into a special and especially silly day. Some preschools have this tradition, and there's no reason not to copy them. A fun twist on the idea is to have a pajama play date with a few friends. Ask them to bring a doll or stuffie dressed in pj's too, put on bedtime music, and have warm milk and honey for snack. The kiddos find it hilarious to compare pajamas-and, we always get a laugh out of it too.
To make any old day special from the very beginning, start off with a fancy breakfast. This requires getting up just a bit earlier than usual, but it is worth it to surprise everyone. Set the table with flowers and pretty placemats, make everyone's favorite foods, and maybe find a favor to put at each spot. You'll be amazed at how much a cheerful morning can brighten the day.
Putting on music is the quickest way to change the mood of any moment. It may come in especially handy during one of the more trying times of the day: clean up time. When it's the end of the day and the kids' room is a mess, it is easy to for everyone to feel discouraged. Put on some upbeat music though, and everything gets a whole lot easier. Musical chore time may morph into a dance party, and, who knows, it might just become the best moment of your day.
What about in your family? What do you do to make an ordinary day feel like a special one? Do your kids give you ideas? Do you ever take them up on the good ones?
More from The Savvy Source:
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• Inspiring wonder: Looking at the stars with our children
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