Say yes to a YES! Day

Have you watched the movie “Yes Day”? It’s fantastically fun in a movie magic kind of way, but it also raises a great idea that is truly easy to say yes to. Reward your kids with a Yes Day! Here’s how we do it. 

Homeschooling two kids at different ages requires working independently and thus motivation to do so. Prizes and rewards are wonderful but expensive, so I developed an occasional system to earn a much coveted Yes Day. 

We call them YES Cards. Each kid has a YES card (basically a colorful index card with a sticker of their favorite character on it). Kids earn YES points (a tally mark on their YES card) when they act or do something well. Points can be that extra pat on the back for such tasks as: reading your books well, asking for help on a math problem instead of getting upset, or cleaning up after you’re done with a project without being told. I’ve even given them out for quickly getting dressed and back downstairs- whatever you feel deserves being reinforced. 

We say 30 Yes points equals a YES DAY, and to sweeten the pot each kid can earn their own day but to reduce stress, we let them both participate in each other’s days. 

Ground rules must be set. Fortunately my kids are pretty good. We let YES days happen on non school days, no large purchases, no major excursions and no livestock 😂. Don’t be disappointed if your kids go easy on you, but be ready to step outside your comfort zone. Our YES days usually include Pjs all day, too much iPad, Portillo’s lunches and random snack requests like marshmallows or m&ms. Too much screen time and sugar once in a while can be liberating! I do insist on snacks of regular foods in between too. 😉 

YES days can give your kids a since of being in charge. We all know how often we say no in one way or another.   Warning do not do YES days too often or the fun does wear off. We try to earn one every few months, especially when there’s a lack of holidays or special events to look forward to (think after Christmas slump). 

Also note the positives from a parenting stand point. YES days take the stress off you mom. In a way, you’re not making the decisions today. They ask for meal options, activities, etc. They choose the amount of tv time, baths or not, games to play too! And if you’re lucky you can clean half the house in the amount of extended ipad time they request… Win! 

Just imagine a day where you have no mom consequences : ice cream at breakfast,  make their favorite meal, unpack the legos all over, make slime… say “YES!”and bravely put them in charge.