This is one way my poor memory comes in handy! I try to match the kids’ enthusiasm about projects, jokes, facts, stories, and life in general.
Here’s an example of how this plays out.
Kid 1: What did the mama humpback whale say when her calf passed his test?
Me: Hmmm. I don’t know.
Kid 1: (grinning widely) WHALE done!
Me: Oh, that’s a good one! Whale done. I get it.
(ten minutes later)
Kid 2: What did the whale say when the baby got an “A?”
Me: Hmmm. I don’t know.
Kid 2: (shouting) WHALE DONE!
Me: Oh, that’s a good one! Whale done. I get it!
(the next moment)
Kid 3: What did the whale say about the test?
Me: Hmmm. I don’t know. What?
Kid 3: Whale done! (Kid 2 immediately runs off laughing.)
I have four kids who like to tell jokes, and two of them can even remember punch lines consistently. That means I spend a lot of energy being amused by jokes that aren’t quite jokes and pretending every time is the first time.
It’s not that this fabricated eagerness is a lie– I’m genuinely interested in my kids, and I’m tickled when they share their thoughts with me. So although I don’t really, really care about what a group of giraffes is called (a tower) or that komodo dragons flourish on Komodo Island, I express appropriate surprise or delight or horror when one of the kids tells me a tidbit.
I love that they love learning.
They all dressed up like queens and a king the other day. They fashioned their accessories (crowns, rings, bracelettes, a sword) out of plus pluses. At their final reveal, I told them I just had to get a picture of their efforts.
Sometimes it can be hard. I’ve been known to snap a quick “Does it look like I care about why ring-tailed lemurs only live in Madagascar?!?!” in a moment of frustration juggling a fussy baby and several tasks.
Most the time, though, there’s enough patience to go around. Practicing the basics of active listening such as making eye contact or asking questions ties us together as a family. “Excitement” isn’t flashy or easy, but it offers a thousand little opportunities to respond every day.
Linking up with others for Blogging Through the Alphabet.
Check out the rest of the series:
Family Connections ABCs: Simple Ways to Grow in Joy
A: Apologizing
B: Book Club
C: Church
D: DadTime
E: Excitement
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Oooh… This is a good reminder. And actually the second reminder of the day. I better pay attention!