Learning to Laugh More

Life is not a chore! As adults we grumble through life and forget to stop and enjoy much of anything. Children have this inherent ability to laugh and make jokes and just enjoy even the most tedious tasks. This can be disruptive when they’re in school or need to get things done so we teach our children that it’s not always appropriate to laugh and joke around. Somehow we forget that sometime it’s just what the situation calls for. When I was a kid my sister and I had to do dishes after dinner every night. This is a chore that should have only taken us about 30 minutes. It often took us closer to an hour or 2. We both hated doing dishes more than anything! But instead of making it a boring chore we’d make goofy faces at each other and fling dish soap bubbles when the other one didn’t expect it. We’d crack jokes, laugh, talk about boys. It became a nightly bonding ritual instead of just a chore. Don’t get me wrong, we still hated doing them, but it was definitely more bearable. I can guarantee you I don’t flick soap bubbles at my husband when it’s time to do the dishes now. I’m pretty sure he’d look at me like I was a crazy person if I did (a look I’m all too familiar with). Chores are never going to be fun. I don’t think this is news to anyone, but does that mean they have to be these arduous tasks that we have to muddle through to be able to do what we have planned when we’re done. Typically, we don’t have anything planned after we’ve finished our chores anyway so what’s really the point in getting all worked up about getting it done right now anyway? The world will not end if you don’t finish that last load of laundry or skip a day of vacuuming. Vacuuming has actually become a game in our house, the kids and dog make a contest to see who can muster up the courage to touch it first. It’s hilarious to watch them try and then scare them off by pushing it at them.

We have a lot of fun in our house, but just like most people we all have our moody days as well. I woke up this morning and just wanted to stay in bed. That is, until I turned and looked at my daughter who currently sleeps in a toddler bed right next to ours. The first words out of that sweet girl’s mouth were, “Mommy, you’re really beautiful.” Hard to stay in a yuck mood then. I’m not exactly sure how, but that turned into us making faces at each other and laughing so hard! Silly faces and sweet nuances aren’t the only way to bring joy into your day though. Whenever you find yourself feeling a little blah you can turn on some music. I think everyone’s jammed out a little too hard to a song you just love, but it seems like we outgrow that ability to let loose. No reason you can’t bring that back into your life. Don’t be afraid to get silly in other ways too. Silly faces, silly noises, silly photos, just get dorky. Who cares what other people think. Other people are just plain boring if they can’t loosen up and have a little fun too.

I’ve been homeschooling my son this past year and I’ve found that it’s really easy to get sick and frustrated with each other. The people who know you the best have an uncanny ability to get on your nerves more than anyone else. Try breaking up that tension by pulling up meme’s online, randomly bust out a weird costume, wig, glasses, or hat. You can also try dancing, blow some bubble (because you’re never too old for bubbles), or just smile. Seriously, even if you don’t feel like smiling. It’s contagious and once everyone around you is smiling you’ll just feel happier too. We all need a little joy in our lives. find yours and make the best of it.

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