Yes Day FOR THE WIN!

My younger son, Hudson, is that high energy, wild child that you can’t take your eyes off of for even a minute or he will probably hop a fence and swim laps in your neighbor’s pool! He is five years old but he has been this way since he could crawl. Always so curious, fearless and getting into everything. I remember when he was not even two-years-old and I got a frantic text from my nanny while I was working. She told me Hudson was totally fine but that she had to let me know that he found a gray snake in the yard (a garden snake thank g-d) and picked it up with his bare hands to show her! So glad she is the one who was there to witness this because I probably would have had a heart attack, but that’s Hudson for you!

Because of his carefree ways I often find myself saying no to him. “No Hudson you cannot climb up on the book shelves in the library”. “No, you cannot pee in the bushes when there is a bathroom just ten feet away”. “No, you cannot take off your seatbelt when I still haven’t parked the car”. “No, you cannot take your bowl of ice cream onto the couch with you”. “No, you cannot watch that show and try to reenact the slime challenge in our kitchen”.

I feel like a broken record at times and as much as I am sick of saying it, I know he is equally tired of hearing it. I am told that I was very much like him as a child, I guess this is payback!

Well, today ended up being a very special day. I actually slept in and woke up with zero plans, something that rarely ever happens (both things). My husband, Joe, was taking our older son, Conner, to his buddy’s birthday party and Hudson was stuck at home with me feeling sorry for himself and having major FOMO!

So I declared today as our mommy and me “yes day”. Anything Hudson wanted to do with me I would say yes to—within reason of course. The result- we ended up having the best day together.

His requests were all granted ranging from playing outside in his bathing suit with a hose (so he could get soaked), watering the plants, playing on his scooter, taking a bubble bath for as long as he wanted, going to Miyoko for lunch and eating chicken katsu at a tow table on the floor with me, going to a car wash (okay so maybe I fed him this idea but he loved it and my car needed it badly), painting with Conner (once he was back home) and then watching The Cat in the Hat movie with popcorn on the couch before dinner time. I loved that some of it was independent play where I could just sit back, sip on my coffee and enjoy watching him having fun. Some of it was quality time together- talking and laughing and snuggling. And I really loved that none of it had to do with buying him toys or sweets. He never even asked me what his friends were up to, he just enjoyed his special mommy time. My heart is so full. Yes, yes, yes!

Side Note- I highly recommend having a “yes day” for your kids or as a way to better connect with your partner even. The one thing I wouldn’t recommend from our day was The Cat in the Hat movie! The Cat in the Hat has awful behavior and language, and of course Hudson thought it was hilarious and now thinks it’s funny to imitate the cat…insert rolling of eyes emoji here! Why do they make kid’s movies like this? I love the Cat in the Hat book series but the movie was a huge disappointment.