Sometimes you have to put the baby down for an early nap and let the big kids slide down the stairs

The thing I’ve learned: You don’t always have to say no.

I mean, if your kid asks you if they can eat 15 packs of fruits snacks or if they can brush their teeth with toilet bowl water, you should probably say no. And I do say no A LOT. I’d like to say it less but some days I just don’t want to be cleaning the living room for an hour later or listen to a screaming kid at 5:00 who earlier had convinced me they didn’t need a nap.

But again, you don’t always have to say no. For example, when M was just a couple of months old we had a rough morning. Like, multiple people crying, food all over the floor and M generally unhappy. So when L, R and E asked if they could slide down the stairs - actually, I’m pretty sure they just started doing it and I didn’t stop it - I put M down for an early nap and watched as they slid down our carpet covered stairs and squealed with laughter at the chance to do something we pretty much never do. Some safety rules had to be put in place – no pushing someone down the stairs, wait to go up until everyone is down, don’t go down sideways – but after that it was a solid 30 minutes of fun. It was just what we needed to break up our day.

Since then they’ve asked to do it again and there are days I say yes and others I say no. Safety is always first so if the younger girls get too interested in it I have to say no. Same with days that they are extra hyper and I know the rules will go out the window within the first two slides. But other days I’ll still put the baby down and let the kids slide down the stairs :)