Because We Need Advice
It 's always swell to receive advice on parenting. And nothing could be more helpful than this fantastic pamphlet made available to me through Crabtot's daycare: "Wyoming First Lady's Family Night Presents...The Year of the Connected Family." Quite a mouthful, but wait, there's a subtitle: "A smorgasbord of fun, easy, and practical ways to connect with your family." I decided to read it. After all, it's not every day that you receive advice with the word "smorgasbord" in it.
A smorgasbord indeed. As a result, I have now learned numerous strategies for keeping my family together, such as:
1. "Surprise your family. Declare tonight's dinnertime 'Backward Night.' Have everyone put their clothes on backwards, turn their chairs around backwards, and eat dessert first."
Um. Okay. If you say so, First Lady. I mean, this sounds a little bizarre to me. But if keeping my family connected means eating the peach cobbler in advance of the steak while my jeans-butt gapes over my lap, who am I to say no?
2. "Make Aggressions Cookies."
That's right. When you're feeling ticked off, don't whack your tot like some kind of Crabmomster; make cookies together! (In a nutshell, the point of this activity is to make a very unyielding cookie dough that you and the kids can bash together in rage! Excellent!)
So many top tips...so little time. A last snippet: something called Family Night in which, we are assured that while playing games or reading a book together, "it's okay to be silly!"
Thanks! I needed that reassurance. I didn't know that silliness was acceptable on Family Night. But in Wyoming at least, it is. I can be silly, and that's okay. My First Lady tells me so.
CM,
For laughs I am going to suggest this to my hubby and kids tomorrow night at dinner (I might make it more interesting by wearing a backless dress)! If you don't hear from me for a few days ... they've probably had me committed! Please come and rescue!
MommyKnows ... you should never take parenting advice from a politician or his wife!
MK
When my 4-year-old daughter's feeling aggressive, I get out of the line of fire. The thought of cookie dough in her angry little paws is not a pleasant one.