Happy Wednesday, everyone! I thought this week I'd share a cute father-daughter story with all of you! For me, it’s the perfect example of how to create lasting memories with your kids — how you can add a little magic to the mundane.
This is Dave’s story:
“My daughter is three and a half, and every morning she’ll come into my bed to wake me up . . . or sometimes she’ll come in the middle of the night just to snuggle. One particular morning, when I told her it was time to get ready for school, she said, ‘I don’t feel like going to kindergarten’. It was the first week after Christmas break, and she wasn’t thrilled to be back in her old routine. So she asked, ‘Can you pick me up from school today with a surprise?’
“Now, normally, my kids ask for candy as their surprise. (I also have a five-year-old son.) My wife and I have been trying to move away from that: we don’t want our kids associating sugar with happiness, or for them to use food as a pick-me-up when they’re older. So I told my daughter, 'It won’t be candy, but I promise I’ll surprise you with something extra special'.
“While the kids were at school, I tried to think of something I could do. Then the idea just came to me: How funny would it be if I showed up with all my clothes on backwards?
“I got a few funny looks from the teachers when I arrived, so I explained that my daughter had a rough morning and I was surprising her. I also made sure to stand backwards as I waited for my kids to come out.
“When they first saw me, they were confused (‘What happened? Where’s his face?’). But when I turned around, they laughed — they thought it was hilarious! They made me walk backwards all the way to the car, made me hold each of their hands, and they wanted a picture taken of the three of us. My surprise ended up being a huge hit, and it was definitely more memorable than if I’d just brought them chocolate!”
Here’s the picture they took!
I love stories like this — the kinds that teach us how to create joy in our daily lives. It reminds me of when I was a little girl, of when my dad used to cut a “mouth” into my brother and I’s banana in the morning. I remember the deep voice my dad used to bring “Talking Banana” to life, and how he used a butter knife to make the banana's mouth move up and down. These are the kinds of memories kids never forget!
Have you ever surprised your kids in a unique way? How did they react? Let me know in the comment below!
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