Today I want to share a simple experience with you. It’s about turning a lousy day into a great day. There was no magic in how it happened. It’s totally obvious and it will work every time. 

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while but somehow I didn’t. So I’m doing it now.

It was a weeknight around 4:30pm. It wasn’t quite dinner time yet and I was home alone with the kids while my wife was out teaching a fitness class. The kids were starting to get a bit hungry, tired, cranky, and perhaps most important … they were a bit bored. We all know that boredom is a massive trigger for bad behavior in toddlers and kids.

Sometimes all you need to do is give your kids some positive attention. But I’m talking about REAL attention, not a half-effort while you play with your iPhone or BlackBerry pretending to listen to them or pretending to interact with them while you prepare dinner or clean the kitchen.

I was getting dinner prepped that night. I noticed that my kids were not in the best mood. Quite frankly, neither was I. I don’t remember the exact details, but we’ve all been there. I just didn’t feel at my best.

I knew I needed to start prepping the meal but I decided to change the mood first. I went over to my computer and fired up iTunes. For some reason I put on The Village People (In The Navy, YMCA, etc). It’s classic stuff that makes everyone want to dance like a total idiot (I mean that in a good way).

The three of us (my two daughters and I) all just smiled at each other. I grabbed their hands and we started to boogie on the kitchen floor. We did this together for about 10 minutes. We got our blood and oxygen flowing. We laughed. We smiled.

After the dancing was over, I left the music playing and I got them involved in helping me prepare the food. The good feelings from the music and the dancing totally transformed the way everyone felt for the rest of the evening.

Dancing and acting silly makes people feel good. All people – not just toddlers and children. Turn on the music and turn it up! Dance with your kids. Sing out loud. Act like a fool. Enjoy yourself. You’ll love how it cranks up everybody’s positive feelings. The best part of it all … the feeling lasts for a long time after you stop dancing and singing. It brightens the rest of your day.

Just do it.

Enjoy your children,
Chris Thompson
Creator of the “Talking to Toddlers” Audio Course for Parents
http://TalkingToToddlers.com

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