V-Day Challenge, WEEK ONE
Let's do this...let's love on our people. ❤️
Okay, Catherine O’Hara is dead and nothing is right or normal or okay about that. I literally screamed (to my poor family), “THE WRONG PEOPLE ARE DYING!” And when I say that, I think we all know who we are talking about. 🍊
And then we watched Best in Show and I quoted the entire movie through my tears. This scene is hysterical ⬇
Diane Keaton and now Catherine. The world keeps taking funny women instead of dangerous dipshits. Fucking-A.
AND ONWARD! We need some positivity, so let’s make some hearts!
This week:
Take a gander at your schedule and make some decisions. How many hearts can you really make? This depends on your own word problem: “If Phyllis has three kids plus full time work, and her spouse will also be doing this with her, how many stickies can Phyllis reasonably create this week?” You see? What’s your word problem? (sorry if I triggered anyone with this mathiness)
Once you decide on your sticky amount, you can decide to make them ahead of time or on the day of. It doesn’t matter. Just decide.
If you have older kids in boarding school or college, you can decide to text them the message, make the stickie and take a pic to text, or send them snail mail. It all counts.
Get your stuff ready. My stuff? A stickie and a sharpie. Other people? Full watercolors and card stock. Whatever floats your boat.
What are you writing?
One or two sentences (MAX) about what you love about your kiddos. If you can, try to keep it personal…think, more, “I love listening to you laugh with your friends when you’re gaming,” and less, “I love that you get A’s in math.” You see the difference, right? If you don’t, we have work to do.
Try to write about their values, morals, and characteristics that personal to them, and not general. “I see and love your loyalty to your friends.”
Stay away from their bodies and appearance unless it feels right. “I love your commitment to getting strong for baseball with your weight regimen,” rather then “I love how skinny you’ve gotten.”
Stay away from awards, grades, and performance-based-outcomes because, well, the culture already praises that shit enough. Say stuff that shows you really know your kid, not stuff that can be googled.
Be silly, goofy, and funny. Make sure it is funny to them; if you have any doubts, then don’t write it down.
Remember: this is meant to be loving and easy. Get and keep that vibe.
Here’s a little playlist I made for you to listen to while you made your notes.
Brillaint approach to combating the achievement obsession that plagues parenting culture. The distinction between celebrating character traits versus outcomes is crucial because kids internalize what we consistenly notice about them. I tried something simliar last year and noticed my daughter started pointing out positive qualities in others too. The only thing I'd add is timing matters, random tuesday notes often land harder than holiday ones.