By Jessica Tanner - April 29, 2020
Life is interesting right now. There is so much uncertainty and redundancy that some days can be hard. School is being taught in the homes and there are few opportunities to socialize.
Amid all this chaos I thought my little quarantine crew was doing well, however, kids are brutally honest and sometimes put you in your place.
One day when my husband arrived home from work, he asked the kids, “What did you learn today?” Our middle child, Raydon quickly replied, “We never learned nothing!”
I was shocked, not only by his incorrect wording, but by the fact that I was falling short in the school department. I know I cannot live up to their amazing teachers, who make school way more fun, but I thought I was doing pretty well.
Luckily for me, and many others, our best will be good enough to get our kids by until they are back in schools. Now is the time to do what we can and when we fall short to let fun fill in the gaps. We need to have a sense of humor and find opportunities to not only laugh, but also to celebrate.
This got me thinking about other funny things my kids have had on their minds. Here are just a few…
Raydon said, “Mom I have a girlfriend.” I replied, “Do you love her or is she just your friend?” He exclaimed, “I love her.” I then asked, “What is her name?” He said, “I don’t know.”
Raydon is always good for a laugh not only because he is so expressive when he tells me stories, but because he loves to dress up and act out scenes. We have been to stores with him dressed as a Power Ranger, as well as Disney’s Maui and Oogie Boogie.
One day he also claimed, “We have not cuddled for years!” I questioned, “For years?!” He then replied, “Well we did cuddle this morning.”
My oldest has said some funny things too.
One day when he was begging to do something I finally said, “Don’t be surprised if I say no.” He replied, “Okay, but can I be surprised if you say yes?!” I told him yes he could and that made him so happy!
Another time we were out selling chocolates for his school around our neighborhood. He asked if we could go see my Aunt Dee, and I said we would.
He then said, “I wish we were homeless so we could live with Dee.” I was so caught off guard and could not stop laughing.
Although some days can be hard I hope we are taking time to enjoy the little things. Find what makes you happy and pursue that, especially during this weird time.
Communicate with people who bring you joy and be sure to document all the journeys you experience—the good and bad.