Have you watched the Netflix movie Yes Day with Jennifer Gardner? I truly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it! I don’t want to give a lot away but, the premise of the movie is about how the Mom and Dad say No all the time to their 3 kids. The parents are just trying to keep their kids safe! They finally give their kids 1 day where they say Yes to whatever the kids want to do, there are boundaries! It is great!
After watching this movie, I immediately texted my 4 kids, who are now between, 22-32 years old, that we should have had Yes days! My job as their mother, from their birth, was to keep them safe and in one piece. I too, thought by saying No over and over again I was being a super parent! As I think back on my kid’s childhood, I do wish I would have said Yes more often!
Within reason, what is the harm for 1 day letting your kids wear their pj’s, all day long or letting your daughter do your hair and makeup or having ice cream for dinner? If you can’t have entire Yes Day, what about just 1 hour being a Yes hour! Yes, we can read a book, bake cookies, paint a picture together, or put that puzzle together that was a Christmas gift!
I too, took a Yes Day! I had a long to do list yesterday, I decided instead to say Yes to doing something fun and out of the ordinary, and not on my to do list! Giving yourself permission to say Yes, is great for your heart, soul and mind!
For many families, Spring Break begins this week! This might be the perfect time to try having a Yes Day! Your Spring Break may usually be about cleaning out the closets, raking the yard, power washing the porch, etc… Try taking one day and have your kids plan the day, knowing you can’t say No! Have a Yes Day and go with the flow! When the kids say Suzy’s Swirl for breakfast, lunch or dinner – Say Yes!
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness
Charles Spurgeon