Recently my daughter has fallen in love with Dora the Explorer. Sometimes after hearing it so many times in the background, even I can’t get the little tunes out of my head…”Where are we going? Clap! Clap! Clap!” Ahhh…make it stop! Anyhow, at the end of each Dora episode, they end with a question…something like “What was your favorite part of the trip?” Then they pause to give kids a time to answer.
One night before bedtime, I asked Emma (Dora style) “What was your favorite part of the day?” She told me, and then asked me what mine was. Then, of course, we had to ask Lovies what theirs was. What started as a one time little question has now become part of our bedtime ritual. After we read books turn out the lights we have some quiet time to snuggle and think about our favorite part of the day before our prayer. It has become a very sweet little lesson for me, one I wasn’t expecting.
Hearing her answers each day remind me that is is really the simple things that bring a little girl 2 years and 10 months old happiness. Her answers never include getting a new toy or going some place fabulous. They are little things like…eating peaches at the park, playing with the fridgerator magnets with papa, running in the grass, snuggling with mommy, eating cupcakes, playing with Daddy or making play doh with Nana.
The lesson is twofold, as it has been a lesson in gratitude for me as well. Because, even if I have had a (excuse me) sort of crappy day, I still have to come up with an answer to tell her. It forces me to replay our day in my head and find the bright points. And, when I think of the things during the day that made me smile or brought me joy, it was usually something simple like watching her run in the grass or hearing her giggle her belly laugh at one of daddy’s jokes. It makes me stop and really appreciate all the good things that happened during the day.
All thanks to our friend Dora!
Happy Easter weekend! Check Wednesday’s post if you are looking for fun family activities this weekend! And, you still have time to enter the Bath Desserts giveaway! Check Monday’s post for details and email me before 5pm PST today! Have a great one every one!
Sweet post.I needed a nice reminder of appreciating the little things in life. I love your little bedtime ritual- I think I’m going to borrow it with my kiddos. Thanks!!
I love this post. Whenever we are in the car on the way home from a super fun outing – yesterday was Knott’s Berry Farm- I ask my kids the same thing and it’s always the simplest thing "running with Matthew" or holding hands and skipping with mommmy". It’s really the simple things!
This is so cute. For some reason we do this during bathtime!
So sweet! We do this at dinner time. It’s great for my 3 year old and my 35 year old. My husband needs to check in to the simple things every once in a while too. It’s also a great way for the littles to share their day because sometimes "What did you do today?" is a bit to big for them to ponder.