All of us have been there, a day that just won’t go our way. And then we watch our kids go through it and it’s an agonizing ordeal. Frumpy days are bound to happen. I say, let the bad vibes be your guide and go with it! Here’s a few ways you can use these unfortunate events as the start of some great fun.
- Make a proclamation that the rest of the day shall be “Backwards Day”! Go into the bathroom and switch your clothes around so they are on backwards (hats and shoes work well here). Come back out and encourage your kids to do the same. Move throughout the kitchen, or wherever you may be, backwards (and yes, watch out behind you) until your kids follow along. Try to do simple tasks backwards to instigate a giggle (for example – pet the dog backwards, wash your hands but start with drying them off with a towel and walk around with your hands wet).
- Declare a Redo! Agree with your child(ren) that this day isn’t working out, so you’re going to rewind time to start it over again. Grab your remote control (for effect) and mimic pressing the rewind button. As fast as you can, pantomime the events of the day going backwards (i.e. walking to the door, putting on your coat, go outside, come back in, take off your coat, go to sit down to mime eating breakfast, pantomime preparing the meal, pretend to get undressed, fake brushing your teeth, make a big yawn and finally lie down and close your eyes). Your kids will pick up on what you’re doing pretty quickly and will enjoy watching you in reverse. Once you get to the sleeping part, tell them it’s time to start the day new and press the fast forward button on the remote. Have them join you and mime the activities that they would normally have done up until that time (again, the faster the better until you get to the current time). That’s about all there is to the activity – most of the time, they’ll want to keep acting out going backwards and forwards as fast as they can, but it will take the strain off the events in the day. Play along with the remote if you want.
- “Opposite Day”. Look at your watch and act puzzled, check the calendar, check your watch again and then act as if you’ve figured something out. Tell your child(ren) that you TOTALLY FORGOT, but that the reason the day isn’t going so well is because it’s Opposite Day. Go on to explain that it’s a special day when words take on opposite meanings. Use an example, simple at first, like “Right now it’s nighttime, not daytime.” Continue illustrating the point by saying something like, “So when I ask you if you’re ready for bedtime, I should say ‘Honey, are you ready to wake up?’”. Start the ball rolling by asking them questions that they’ll hopefully answer with opposites. Here’s a few ways to begin:
- “It’s an ugly day today. Do you want to go inside and play on the swings?” (when you’re asking if they want to go outside)
- “Will you get mommy her black mug?” (when you want the white one) Your child might get confused, but don’t sway in pretending that her mug is indeed black.
NOTE: Keeping it simple with things like color, or location are the sure-fire ways to get the party started.
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