Many parents automatically say "no" to their kids when they ask for something, but there's a growing parenting trend called "Yes Day" that indulges their whim for a full day.
Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal developed the concept of a "Yes Day" more than a decade ago. Now a growing movement among families, the concept was even turned into a 2021 Netflix movie starring Jennifer Garner, a proponent of the movement, and Edgar Ramirez.
So, what exactly is a "Yes Day"? Garner said via Tatler that it's basically just about bending some rules and giving kids the power and control for one day. It's about having ice cream for breakfast, cereals for dinner, sleeping in the backyard, or doing crazy things around the house.
Garner's "Yes Days" with her kids are unplanned, but these can also be scheduled ahead of time. Here are two important things parents need to remember to carry out a fun "Yes Day" for the kids:
There should be some ground rules.
While a "Yes Day" gives the children some control over the decisions for the day, some ground rules should be set into place. Parents should make the boundaries clear so that the day won't turn into chaos and no one gets into an accident for suggesting something fun and out of the ordinary.
It might also help to set a budget cap, say $100, for any expenses that might arise. Clinical psychologist Dr. Hazel Harrison noted that parents should emphasize to their kids that this is not about acquiring stuff as some kids might take this chance to ask for something expensive. Instead, this day is all about doing something different with the children.
Kids should be allowed to brainstorm with their parents.
School-age children may enjoy a brainstorming session on what to do for their "Yes Day" if this is something that the parents want to plan ahead of time. Brainstorming also allows the kids to unleash some of their creativity as they develop ideas on how to spend the special day together.
Parenting expert Elissa Strauss agreed that their son's "Yes Day" will take place on his birthday. For the next three weeks before that, he asked questions from his parents to get a clear idea of what the family could and could not do. They established a mix of premeditated activities and time for improvisation. The successful "Yes Day" gave their son a sense of competency and autonomy, as well as a feeling of contentment.
Garner added that it gives her a great feeling to just say yes to her kids because her knee-jerk reaction is always to say "No." She also doesn't suggest doing anything grand. The point of this activity is to hear out the kids and focus on them.
For the last six years, Garner has hosted annual "Yes Days" with her three kids, but Harrison said some families might want to do this more than once, and that's perfectly fine as well.
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