If it makes them laugh, do it again

Raising children should be fun.  It's hard, no doubt, but it should be fun too.  But even more, it should be fun for the kids.

Can I tell you how completely bored it makes me to play "kitchen" or Chutes and Ladders?  Unfortunately, I'm not one of those "the kid in me" kind of people. I'm all business. I'm  like "let's crank out this game, see who wins and then I can get back to doing the dishes."

But is that in line with my goal of raising happy adults?  No.  Kids need your attention.  They need you to play on their level and enjoy what they're doing.  They need to learn that laughter is a wonderful thing and that they should always feel comfortable laughing and expressing themselves.  They need to learn to be silly by observing you being silly.  They need to know what it means to have a sense of humor, to be original and to be lighthearted.

So dance with your kids, make funny faces with your kids, tickle their toes and wiggle their nose.  And if it makes them laugh, do it again.