Friday, October 19, 2007

Cheer Up Kiddo

How do you cheer away the grumps? I tend to be a goofy person, I'm not afraid to be called silly, actually I think it is more fun to live a goofy life. I am the oldest of four and now the mother of four. I've learned that goofy is the best way to get through the day. After all, why get out of bed if you're not going to enjoy the day?

Here's a few things I've learned:

Eyebrows up!! Tell a child it's ok to be grumpy, but that if they are going to whine and complain they have to do it with their eyebrows up. Try it!! It's impossible to stay grumpy while trying to talk with your eyebrows lifted. Try keeping a straight face looking at someone who is trying this technique. I learned this from a dear friend who has 5 children, I tend to pick up quite a few good pointers from her. My girls think that eyebrows up is funny and now anytime someone is showing an ounce of grump, out of nowhere someone is bound to say it... EYEBROWS UP!!

Turn that frown upside down! Don't ask me why this works. I have found that if grump child is not responding to just the statement that getting in their face works well too. Let me explain... my Molly tends to be a bit hard headed (I can't imagine where she got that from, certainly not me!) So anyways, Molly will be in one of her grumpy moods, I'll try the phrase, turn that frown upside down, usually it works, occasionally she will hold out that smile. Sure there is a smirk hiding below the surface. So I get right in her face, c'mon get closer...nose to nose until when looking at each other we both only have one eye. Smile, laugh and dare her not to smile. "Don't smile Molly, I dare you not to smile...uh oh, I think I see a smile, don't you dare smile or else I will have to tickle you!!" While she is desperately trying to hold out, we break out into a "Tickle Torture!!" (Her feet are unbelievably ticklish!) After a few minutes of pure laughing and silliness, we tend to sit close and have a impromptu conversation about how much more fun it is to be silly than grumpy. She usually tends to agree and away she goes on her happy way, the grump is gone. Till the next tickle torture that is!
P.S. Tickle Torture works on grumpy hubby as well!!! :)



I'll be back with more silly cheer up ideas. Comment back and give me some of your ideas. I can always use some more ideas to get through the grumps.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I always liked, "First you're laughing, Now you're crying, What are you gonna do NEXT!?!?!!!"