No Rule Day - can you do it?

Hi there Slummy Chummies!

Now, you'll have to excuse this post, it's one I wrote earlier but for reasons unknown to me, would just NOT post on my blog so I published it on Facebook instead! But I still think its worthy of its own post as planned so I'm putting it on here.

It's also slightly unusual post from me in that it mainly isn't based on bodily fluids or having to clear them up (although there has been plenty of that today!), but its an almost serious post for once! These posts will happen, although few and far between, because its not that often I'm philosophical or actually sensible in any way. Really, its not. That's not to say its a SERIOUS post, just lacking the usual snips and sarcasm! So onwards with the post we go!

So......does anyone else have a "no rule day"?? Or is it just us? 

Every Saturday in my house is no rule day, for me, and for the kids,

They don't have to do homework, they can stay in PJs, they can play computer games or Lego, or stay in bed all day reading a good book. We don't eat normal breakfast, lunch, dinner. We eat when we are hungry. Sweets (to a degree!) are allowed, biscuit tins are a free for all, there are no chores, they don't even need to brush their hair. They can watch crap TV and eat crisps. We have takeaway for dinner, and have pudding too. We pay a silly amount that we can't afford, to get the buy before release films off sky and stay up late watching them. They play with the iPads in bed until they fall asleep and drop them on the floor.

Saturday is no rule day. No one takes the piss, arguments don't happen, everyone eats and gets washed, everyone chills out and feels relaxed. We don't go anywhere unless we want to. We all stay up late and snuggle under a blanket watching our late night films and eating chocolate or snacks. 

The other 6 days a week we get up, get washed and dressed, do our chores, tidy up, earn stars for pocket money and good behaviour rewards, do as we are told, argue, eat breakfast for breakfast, eat lunch for lunch and dinner for dinner, all at the proper times. We sort out uniforms, we do homework, we do baths and hair washes, we do laundry sorting, we do what we are SUPPOSED to do. 

Today is Saturday. It's now nearly 1.30pm. We are going to eat something shortly because we are hungry. We haven't had breakfast because we didn't want any. We are having breakfast cereal and lollipops for our late 'lunch'. And then we will wash our faces and brush our teeth. And whilst I may have washing to put on and washing up to do, everything else can sit and wait. For the other 6 days a week when it cannot. 

Saturdays are no rule days. And no rule days rule. 

Let it never change.

X

Saturdays are our real family time. Everyone's happy and there's never any rows on a Saturday. Everyone goes to bed happy and with a smile on their face. 

The rest of the time we are always rushing to beat deadlines - we have to be ready for the school run, we have to be at work on time, we have to get the uniforms ready on time, we have to feed the kids as soon as they are home so they don't waste away (apparently!), we have to return things, post things, pick up things, drop off things, wrap things, tidy things, sort through things, put things away, pay bills, go shopping, just DO things. 

One day a week where you take every single pressure off you and do what you want really recharges the batteries. Doesn't necessarily mean doing nothing, I fancied sorting out some of the toys today and Satan helped me, and a box of toys that have been sat in my front room FOREVER got sorted, we did it because we wanted to and we achieved something, there were no frayed tempers, because we didnt have to, we could have stopped if we wanted. 

Its funny how much you get done when you free your mind from your own self-imposed restraints. Start it next week. It will feel weird, wrong somehow, you'll tap your fingers thinking of all the chores you need to get done. Just hold back, don't give in, sit and watch your children, sit on their tiny chairs and colour in with them. Show them how to draw. When they ask for a bowl of chocolate for lunch, say yes, give them the bowl of chocolate! Tell them Saturday is no rule day! Tell them they can have roast dinner for breakfast, jelly and icecream for lunch, when they ask you to do something simple that you are normally too busy to do as you're rushing to "get the chores done so you can relax", say yes, why not? And do that with them. Chores are there forever, our Saturdays with our little ones are limited. In only a very few short years they'll be with their teenage friends and won't want you to sit and draw with them, or do silly dances, or teach them words to silly songs, and eat sweets for breakfast. There are only limited No Rule days left. Chores will be there forever. 

See if you can do it. One day a week. What a difference it makes to everyone. Tweet about it, tell us what things you are doing that you don't normally do, add #NoRuleDay
 
Today is Saturday. Saturdays rule.

😊 X X X