10 finding joy tips to remember today

On Monday I spoke to a sweet MOPS group about ways to incorporate art/science/hands on activities into your home. I started out talking about the heart, and the mindset needed in order to begin to add these activities into the everyday routine. I’ve discovered that if I’m not intentional about cultivating space within my day then these moments with my family never happen.

Today, I’m sharing with you ten finding joy tips to remember everyday.  It’s not ten activities to do, but rather think of it as a cleaning and prepping of the mind so that the fun times are more apt to happen. It’s being intentional so that more finding joy type moments can grow.These ten tips are all based off of my chat at MOPS, and many have been mentioned here before, but I believe they truly can help you live a more joyful life today.

1. Start New. Every morning – or when you need to. Today is today. It is not yesterday. So today, no matter what happened yesterday, start new. Give yourself a clean slate and press on. And, if you need it, start new again at 9am, 11:43 am, 2:15pm, and so on. The deal is to just keep going and moving forward.

2. Be Grateful. Along with starting new, once again, a reminder for you to practice gratitude. List out five things that you love, write them down, tell them to those around you. Being grateful sometimes mean celebrating normal – what normal things and events would you miss if you no longer had them? Ask those questions and challenge yourself to adopt a grateful and joyful heart.

3. Teach Gratitude. One of the greatest blessings that we as parents can give to our children is the gift of gratitude. This is modeled. When you are grateful you are in turn teaching your child to be grateful. So work together to be grateful for the day, or the markers used, or the rain falling out the back window. Use times throughout the day to ask what are you thankful for right now? so that gratitude can grow.

4. Expect a Mess. In order for creativity to flourish a mess will happen. And be careful about calling it a mess. I have come into a room more times than I can count and said what happened here? Look at that mess only to be met with words about it being the best invention ever and stuff like that. So in order to have fun or art or science often there will be a mess. Schedule extra time in your day for that and also don’t be surprised when the mess happens.

5. Encourage Creativity. So, I guess, in a way, it means encourage a mess. For years and years and years I struggled to keep all of our Lego Sets together. My kids don’t care that the super cool Avengers Lego Set cost $49.95 at Target. They played with it as a set and then decided to create their own invention. Let it go, moms, let it go. You can, like I do {ahem}, save the instructions with the one day hope that they’ll dig through the massive lego box and will build that set again. But, seriously, bottom line, let them be creative.

6. Learn to say Yes More. I’ve written about that extensively on my site {read Becoming a Yes Mom}, but it always bears being reminded of – learn to say yes. I think my built in tendency to almost every single question out there is probably no. Can I go outside? No. Can I have a snack? No. Can you read to me now? No. I have to fight against the no answer that comes out almost immediately. Work to say Yes and watch the joy grow in your home.

7. Cultivate Space for Learning. This is the only chance in your lifetime for your house to look like this. I know, I know, it’s often almost an ad for Fisher Price and Little Tikes, but moms, embrace it. There will come that day when there won’t be artwork plastered on the fridge and marker on the wall and legos to step on every 3.4 feet. And, you know what? I am guessing you’ll miss it. Well, most of it – probably not the stepping on lego bit – but the rest? Yes. So cultivate space for learning. Have crayons, paper, and projects available. And then display some artwork – let them know that you love what they are making and creating.

8. Get Down on Their Level. Speak to your children softly. Kneel. Look them in the eye. Nothing works to bring the energy down in my home more than when I start to whisper. Play with them, and really play, not faux play but let your mind wander elsewhere. Set the timer – that way you know that in fifteen minutes you can go something else, but this fifteen minutes you’ll be down on their level playing and thus telling them you matter to me. And this goes for kids/adults of any age – when you let your agenda go and instead focus on listening and understanding then you are, in fact, cultivating and investing in your relationship.

9. Laugh with Them. When have you listened to what they say? If you have kids between 3-5 they are simply funny. Start to laugh. One time one of my boys said to me mom, how come you never laugh? Ouch. After that I became determined to laugh with them. Laughter is good. If you don’t laugh, at least smile. Make yourself smile and after a bit it will just become a real, part of who you are, smile.

10. Give Yourself Grace. I ended with this on a post from last week, but since I’m recapping what I spoke about to the MOPS group I’m going to write it again. We need to give ourself grace. Lots of it sometimes. And sometimes it means going out with the friends and not feeling guilty for getting coffee. Grace, grace, grace. That is my battle cry for you.

What one tip do you want to implement today? For me? It’s all about grace. And laughing.

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