Noodle is a big fan of the PBS Kids show “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” If you are not Supermom and you let your preschool-age kids watch too much TV, like I do, I highly suggest you check it out. It’s a spin-off of the legendary “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and is full of fun, heartwarming life lessons.
One of Noodle’s favorite episodes is about Backwards Day. The characters on the show wear their clothes backwards, put on a backwards show, and generally turn things around. For my four-year-old, this is endlessly amusing. So when I came upon this post on The Runcible Spoon blog, I knew I had struck gold.
Noodle counted down the bedtimes to Backwards Day eagerly. Mom chose a nondescript outfit for her to wear backwards without being too conspicuous (I’m so boring). We said “goodnight” to her when she woke up, ate bacon pizza bagels for breakfast, and engaged in all sorts of backwards fun.
The thing about this day was that it reminded me just how little effort it takes to give a preschooler the time of her life. I’ll admit, telling my child that she must finish her dessert before she can have lunch is not something I’d be willing to do every day… But in general, the tiniest routine upsets are huge fun bombs for her. She told her grandfather the night before backwards day that she was “really excited to go to Costco tomorrow, because we are going to eat lunch before we shop!” Wow, Bumpa. Can you believe it?
Enjoying part of a churro before lunch
We finished the day with some homemade cinnamon rolls for dinner and I sang her bedtime songs in reverse order. It took very little pre-planning and no sacrificing to make her day so special. She is still talking about it and asking when we can do it again; and I am itching to find new ways to make her feel special.
What little treats bring your little one joy? “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matt 7:11 (ESV)
Noodle and Squirt Do Homeschool 