Tuesday, November 10, 2009

If You Give Your Kids Imagination

If you hold a helium balloon by the string and pretend that it is lifting you off the ground, and call to your children to save you before you float through the basement ceiling and off to the stratosphere, they will cling to your legs and pull until you are all a pile of giggling family on the floor.

If you take a package containing a new shirt and tell your seven-year-old son to hold still because there is a fly on his head, and gently whack him on the head with the shirt several times, exclaiming, “Oops, it moved!” each time, your five-year-old daughter will collapse in fits of laughter. The boy will enjoy it, too.

If you pretend that your children weigh roughly the same as an elephant, and “struggle” to pick them off of the floor, pretending to lose your grip and catching them before they fall, they will squeal in delight and beg for the Heavy Game anytime your hands are empty.

If you say, “Get ready, get set, stop!” when your children are lined up for a race, they will groan and smile. If you then say, “Get ready, get set, wait a minute!” they will laugh. On the third attempt to start the race, if you say, “Get ready! Get set! Fart!” they will become a puddle of merriment on the driveway.

And

If you take your young children’s shoes off of their feet, pull off their socks, pretend to smell their feet and exclaim, “HOOOOWEEEEEE, stinky piggies!” while tickling their feet, they will enjoy it so much that when they are older and have really stinky piggies they will still expect you to sniff so that they can chortle.

Except for the 12-year-old with feet the size of an old Buick.

And we are thankful for that small blessing!

8 comments:

Michelle said...

How about waking them up in the morning with love and kisses-only to leave the room and have them "pretend" to go back to sleep.

CrossView said...

See? That's why I like younger kids. They are so much more fun! And you people who prefer high schoolers? Pshaw! They're not nearly as much fun.

Teacher Mommy said...

LOVE it.

We do a lot of dramatic playacting around here. There's a reason DramaBoy is called DramaBoy. And since he's a mini-me...

Connect the dots.

Kathleen said...

You know, I spend all my time trying to get my boys to stop with the potty talk, and you daddies spend all your time giggling with them about the potty talk.

And, Crossview, high schoolers are too fun!! And I don't have to wipe their noses or their butts!

Unknown said...

Kathleen, the girl laughs harder than the boys!

Linda said...

I'm with Kathleen. Except for the high school thing. I've had to wipe a few noses there too....

Unknown said...

That's why children should have a mom and a dad. They get different perspectives.

Kathleen said...

Yes, unfortunately, my girl often laughs at least as hard as the boys. I guess I sometimes laugh too.

And, hey, I know you tire of my endless admiration, but I left you another award on my blog. Guess I don't have many friends. :)