There are days…okay, WEEKS when it dawns on me that I probably haven’t smiled at my kids in I don’t know how long and I know that they haven’t smiled at me either. We go for days grumbling, scolding, and looking disapprovingly at each other. I can’t help but think that a little smiling might make all the difference and change the vibe in our house instantly…
When my children were small, I remember the advice was to “catch them doing something good”—while that can still work with the teenager, they aren’t nearly as likely to beam and glow and may just as likely meet my positive comments with a grunt or a glare. At the same token, our interactions can be sparse and far between and I can be tempted to use those brief moments to offer some critique or suggestion. Days can go by without us saying pleasantries to each other unless I make the effort to change things around a bit.
There have to be reasons to smile—maybe it’s not world peace or an end to global warming—but I should be able to muster a pleasant upturn to my sternly pursed lips. A sunny day, a smaller pile of books and shoes than usual by the front door, a particularly cute look from one of the cats—whatever I can find to smile about has to be better than the perpetual frown. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of parenting by proclamation and response, but I’ve found that making the effort to find something to smile about, grin at my kid even if he or she thinks it is dorky, and lifting the mood within the four walls of my house can all be just what we need to get some different energy flowing around us. Not to mention, I just feel better when I smile!
Also: Finding Excuses to Hug
Can We Have a Little More Optimism Please?