When to Give In to Your Kids

Have you ever kept track of how many times a day you say "no" to your kids? With five kids (yes, you read that right), my daily no tally routinely climbs into triple digits. No, you can't have a second dessert, no you can't stay up a little longer, no, you can't tell your sister you hate her, no you can't do a back flip off the couch...You get the idea. But once in a while, it is a good idea to say yes to your kids even if it is something out of the ordinary. In addition to surprising and delighting your kids, it will keep them guessing.

My kids have me pegged as practical, responsible, and busy, in short, as a Mom. But every so often, I let them do something totally crazy, like taking a shower outside with the hose or riding an old bicycle into the pool. Now they have tons of fun (I get a quintuple whammy because what is fun for one kid can also be a great spectator sport for the other four) and they don't know what to think of the unexpected maternal blessing to the activity. It's like pulling the lever on a slot machine a bunch of times and then bam! jackpot! These are the things that make indelible memories and can help define a childhood. So give yourself (and your kids) permission to throw caution to the winds (as long as you're not throwing away all vestige of common sense) once in a while and live a little!