The secret ingredient of great parenting
June 1, 2012
My family in our silly shirts...never too old for silliness.
What is the secret ingredient of parenting that adds flavor to your home?
Have you ever dug into a dish that you thought would be just so-so and it ended up being fabulous?
What’s the secret ingredient? You ask the chef, who may or may not choose to share the ingredient that transformed the dish from good to GREAT.
I’ve been in a lot of good homes that were just that…good. And then I’ve been in homes that were beyond good. They were fabulous.
What’s the secret ingredient of parenting that helps make a good home GREAT?
Add a little spice
There’s a lot of very essential ingredients that every good home will have: respect, love, good communication. Kinda like the flour and baking soda and salt in a good baking recipe. To carry the baking analogy a bit further, the values that you instill in your child are the baking dish that holds all the ingredients.
But what ingredient adds the spice, the kick, to a home? What can help take it beyond good?
It’s very simple, really.
Add silliness.
Yes, you read it right. And before you give my idea an unfair dismissal, hear me out. If you add silliness in with values, respect, love, and good communication, you have the recipe for a great home environment.
Why silliness?
When people get silly, they laugh. Walls go down. Bonds are built. Laughter is amazing medicine and the family that laughs and gets silly together, in my opinion, has a better chance of staying strong and close as they grow up.
I’ve seen lots of good parents at work. They have values. They discipline. They teach. They love. These are the foundational ingredients of the dish, so to speak.
And then I’ve seen families like my niece and nephew who get silly with their kids. I mean, ridiculously silly. Every time I go to their home, I see how much they enjoy their kids. They play with them, they joke with then, they laugh with them. It’s just fun being in their home.
Of course, they also teach and guide and discipline. But the spice of silliness gets tossed in here and there throughout the day and I have no doubt that those kids will grow up solid and strong in their family bonds and will have a love for their parents’ values because of it.
Not feeling silly?
I am not by nature, a funny, silly person. So I get it when people say, that’s just not me, sorry.
But silliness can be a choice.
You can choose to get on the floor and tickle your kids.
You can choose to go outside and play a game (and be silly about it).
You can choose to make a game out of setting the table or cleaning up toys.
It’s all a matter of letting your inner child out every once in awhile. We were all kids and I’d venture to say, we were all silly at one time or another.
Be intentional about your silliness
If it doesn’t come easy to you, then schedule it. Remind yourself. Ask yourself at the end of the day, was I silly with my kids today?
And as your kids get older, don’t give it up. If you feel like dancing to the music in the store, go ahead. Of course your kids will roll your eyes, but at least they will know that you still have the ability to be silly.
Have that ice-spit fight with your 18 year old as you are leaving a restaurant. ( I did, last week, and we laughed so hard, we were crying)
Go line-dancing with your adult kids (I plan on having a family outing this summer when all the kids are home from college doing just that)
Play marco polo in the pool. Play any game, really. And get competitive about it. Get crazy. Nertz always brings that out in our family.
Go be silly today. And if you haven’t been doing it, it’s not too late to start. I’m pretty sure your kids won’t mind you laughing more, because silliness is just downright fun. It heals and bonds, and does so much, kinda like a wonder drug. And I think that if God had a 10 commandment list for parenting, silliness would be near the top of the list.
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We all know that parenting is actually one of the hardest part now especially to new parents.. And for me, this is one of the most important post..
Twitter: espinosajoey
June 1, 2012 at 8:36 am
Love this! I usually forgot this great principle, but then when I do get silly, and it cracks my kids up, I remember how great it is.
Look what Joey Espinosa recently posted: Empowering Parents Instead of Isolating Them
Joey, never stop being silly. Even when they grow up! They may roll their eyes, but they will secretly be glad you can laugh!
This post speaks a lot about parenting. Good on you!
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Great post! it tells a lot for parents!
Look what Sally J. Shrader recently posted: hgh
Parenting is the hardest thing and in the mean time, the most rewarding thing I ever did! I may forget to give my daughter the medicine in time, but I never forget to love her and get silly with her each and every day.
Look what Daniel Jackson recently posted: A Comprehensive Look at Wheatgrass Juicers or Why Don’t I Use a Manual Wheatgrass Juicer ?
Hi Janis. I am a parent and hence can relate to every bit of your share . Parents need to be innovative in parenting and should also offer choices to the kids so that they don’t feel that we as parents are trying to control their lives . Gripping share .
Look what Purnima recently posted: Sell Gold For Money
Thanks, Purnima. Parenting is the greatest challenge there is, I believe!
Twitter: HomeTreadmill
August 21, 2012 at 5:34 pm
I’m not a parent, yet. But I had 7 year old nephew at home. And, you’re right… “silliness” really do the job. I’m happy to see my nephew have a fun time with me. I just try to enter their world, and “silliness” is a great way…
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