You know, sometimes your kids just know what's best for them, and for you. Mine are always schooling me that way. When we woke on Tuesday, I told D the weatherman said it was going to rain. All day. His first question was "can we play in the rain?" Without hesitation I replied "YES! That's a great idea!"
There is a reason I was quick with a yes. Two, actually. First, we've been battling over the potty issue, and it was nice to agree & have fun with something for a change. But more importantly, I remembered a story from a friend at my mom's group. When she was expecting the first time, she was visiting with a family friend who had lost both of her young children quite tragically. When my friend asked what she would have done differently, the reply was "say 'yes' more." And why not? It seems I say no out of convenience all too often. I like limits and boundaries, and healthy diets and healthy kids. But a popsicle on a warm afternoon....really, there's not a good reason for a no. And playing in the rain? Well, honestly, he taught me a thing or two about that!
I was thinking splash in a puddle, get a little damp and head in. He was thinking play in the (very messy) sandbox, go for a walk, play kick ball. It took me about 15 minutes to get over feeling totally drenched, but then we had a terrific time. We ran around the house, having (soggy) races. We thanked God for watering our garden so we didn't have to. We indeed played in the sandbox (you can make better castles in the rain), and played a lot of very slippery kickball. And we laughed, and laughed, and laughed. It was so good for my heart. That same little boy will be heading off to college in the blink of an eye and I don't want to wonder why I didn't say "yes" more often.
There is a reason I was quick with a yes. Two, actually. First, we've been battling over the potty issue, and it was nice to agree & have fun with something for a change. But more importantly, I remembered a story from a friend at my mom's group. When she was expecting the first time, she was visiting with a family friend who had lost both of her young children quite tragically. When my friend asked what she would have done differently, the reply was "say 'yes' more." And why not? It seems I say no out of convenience all too often. I like limits and boundaries, and healthy diets and healthy kids. But a popsicle on a warm afternoon....really, there's not a good reason for a no. And playing in the rain? Well, honestly, he taught me a thing or two about that!
I was thinking splash in a puddle, get a little damp and head in. He was thinking play in the (very messy) sandbox, go for a walk, play kick ball. It took me about 15 minutes to get over feeling totally drenched, but then we had a terrific time. We ran around the house, having (soggy) races. We thanked God for watering our garden so we didn't have to. We indeed played in the sandbox (you can make better castles in the rain), and played a lot of very slippery kickball. And we laughed, and laughed, and laughed. It was so good for my heart. That same little boy will be heading off to college in the blink of an eye and I don't want to wonder why I didn't say "yes" more often.
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