At the beginning of this year, I resolved to yell at my kids less as I get them off to school each day. Feel free to smile at this very blunt admission that yes, I yell to get my kids to school on time. Now what you need to understand about my mornings is that I have three boys, ages 4, 6 and 8. These aren't quiet, introverted boys. These are loud, energetic boys who rarely sit still unless they are playing DS. It is a small miracle that they get to school every day on time, fed, dressed, hair combed and teeth brushed.
In an effort to work with one of my kids on his emotional control (or lack thereof), I started giving mini lectures on how you get to choose your mood. Throughout the day, things are bound to be less than perfect. When this happens, you get to choose if you are upset or if you move through it. To support this, we talked about how saying out loud that you're going to have a great day is half the battle at creating a great day. And so, the word of the day was born...
For the last few weeks, we've picked a new word to use to describe our day. This is a collaborative discussion with everyone getting a turn to contribute. Once selected, everyone takes turns saying in a loud voice, "I'm going to have a (fill in the blank) day!"
At the end of the day, the first thing I ask is "What happened today to make your day (word of the day)? This has been a tremendous conversation starter that focuses on positive things. It also gets boys, who are notoriously bad at telling you anything about school, to think of something unique to tell about their day. The thing that brings a smile to my face each time is the very kid-like answers that I receive back. I've received responses such as,
"My day was outstanding because I played with Billy, my best buddy, all day" 4-year old response
"My day was terrific because we had outdoor recess." 6-year old response
"My day was magnificent because we had gym today." 8-year old response
So, if you'd like to participate in our "Word of the Day" project, please follow our selection on Twitter. And remember, you have to say it out loud and energetic!
