Why You Should Say “YES” to a Yes Day

If there’s ever been a time to have a “yes” day with your children, I’d say it’s now! Of course, it should probably be realistic and achievable, and you may have to set some parameters. A yes day will look different for everyone.

Life has been heavy lately. Although, that could easily describe the past couple of years living through a pandemic.

Sometimes it’s a struggle, but I’m determined to make thankfulness and gratitude a priority. Especially for things I could easily take for granted: family, my health, food, clothing, a home.

Every day is a gift. We don’t know what the future may hold and our lives can change forever in an instant.

My “yes” day with my son, Harrison, somehow revolved mostly around food (not that I’m complaining) but what I came to realize is that our day was more about “presence” than presents.

We had some appointments in Fort Worth and I surprised him with a stop at one of his favorite places there, even though it was 45 minutes out of the way: Boopa’s Bagel Deli. This was our bagel shop for over 20 years when we lived in Fort Worth. Hands down, best bagels I’ve ever had. And they make one of Harrison’s top ten favorite foods-the Boopalache. What is a boopalache? Basically, a sausage kolache wrapped in a bagel instead of bread.

We reminisced about our past visits to Boopa’s and how now it was a treat because we can’t go as often since we live in Waco. Harrison’s excitement and gratefulness were worth going out of the way.

After our appointments, we made a stop at Costco. (I’m still hoping that one day Waco will get a Costco AND Trader Joe’s!) Normally I would want to get in and out as quickly as possible, but Harrison asked if we could look at the toys. I obliged. I was even ready to let him pick a new lego set, but they had limited stock. He already had one set and wasn’t interested in the other.

Then we hit the snack section. I would typically pick something healthy-ish for him, but I let him choose. He surprised me by only picking two items, and neither one was Goldfish crackers!

Harrison had been talking for days about a Fortnite live event he wanted to be a part of. He’d never seen a live event before and asked if he could take part. I rearranged our schedule to make sure we’d be home in time. He also asked if I’d watch him play.

I had a huge to-do list that needed to be tackled, but at that moment, my son wanted to be with me, even if it meant just watching him play a game. I know very little about Fortnite, but I want to learn. Because it’s something that interests him.

Our “yes” day ended on a sweet note because Harrison requested ice cream for dinner. So we made a family trip, including the dog, to Andy’s Custard. I’m a strong supporter of dessert for dinner on “non-yes” days, too.

I truly believe a “yes” day is about investing quality time, intentionally listening, and discovering more about what our kids are interested in, their hopes and fears. Reinforcing that as their parents, we are a safe place. Sowing seeds now to reap a harvest of loving, intentional, honest, and caring relationships with our children in the future.