I’ve cracked a secret code! The last several mornings have been some of the smoothest mornings we’ve had lately. Wanna know why!?

Because I’ve been waking my boys up with the tickle monster!

That’s right. I tickle them into sweetness. Rather than waking up swinging, they wake up laughing, and the rest of the morning is smooth like butter!

If someone tried to wake me up in the morning by tickling me, they’d need prayers for their life. But for the kiddos…? Magical!

So I thought about a few other things that kids seem to love that I think would suck as an adult. That is, unless you’re doing it with or for your child.

Spinning.

Kids LOVE spinning. They like running around in circles, endlessly rotating on sit n spins, and asking you to swirl them around any time your hands are empty. I actually love spinning my boys and falling down into a dizzy pile with them, most of the time. But there’s never a time that I just start running around in circles laughing my ass off as an adult. Unless of course I’m doing it with my sons. I don’t know though, maybe the kids are onto something… They do seem to really enjoy it! 

Playing in dirt.

Kids love the dirt. They’re attracted to it like flies on $#!+. They love it in their finger nails, on their clothes, in their hair. Wherever they can get it, they welcome it. As a parent, I love getting dirty with my kids, but take the parent part out of it and just place an adult in the dirt for hours? Probably not as cool!

Cartoons.

If allowed, my boys would likely sit and watch Paw Patrol almost the entire day. They’d need a few breaks to play in the dirt a while, but as long as they can come back in to Paw Patrol, they’re happy campers. I’ve grown to appreciate some of these shows because if the TV is on, that’s all I ever see. And let’s face it, some of it is pretty cute. (No Caillou, I’m not talking about you!) But really, If that was all I could ever watch, I think eventually I’d just throw the TV out altogether.

Milk and juice.

I limit the boys juice intake because there’s just no need to give them extra sugar. Their blood is 50% sugar as it is I’m quite sure. But they love milk and juice like I love coffee and diet ginger ale. I understand their choices may be the healthier ones and really adults should probably eat and drink more like they feed their kids (assuming you opt for healthy things), but if all I ever got was milk, water and the occasional splurge of juice, I think I’d get irritated. Maybe that’s why parents seem to love wine so much…. Adult juice they don’t have to share with their kids…?

The same jokes over and over and over.

“Knock knock? Who’s there? ME!!! Bahahahaha!” On repeat! Now most of the time, this actually does make me laugh because it’s just so ridiculous. But really! The things kids think are funny just blow me away some days. My boys almost pee their pants laughing as they repeatedly say, “Hey mom, let me tell you somethin! CHICKEN POOP!” Can you imagine us at some adult gathering, walking up to people saying, “Hey guess what!? CHICKEN POOP!!!!!!!!” Or running around like a lunatic on fire like my son the other night continually saying, “Fart contest!!!!” I bet we’d have far less friends.

Having someone involved in all bodily functions.

Every time the boys, or anyone else, farts or burps, there is a big announcement and celebration followed by lots of laughter. Sometimes it’s turned into a contest and accompanied by hysterics and pure, utter joy. I don’t get it, but it does make me laugh when it happens. There’s also a thing that happens with kids where they, and I, announce every time they’re pooping or peeing. Bonus points when it’s in the potty, but even if not, whenever my sons have a bowel movement, I announce, “Are you poopin!!??” and they excitedly answer, “YEAH!!!” Now call me weird, but if every single time I pooped, peed, farted or burped someone announced it or asked for my confirmation that that’s in fact what is going on, I’d be REAL annoyed!

Being randomly lifted.

I’d love to be carried everywhere I go too, but unfortunately, adults just don’t get that luxury. The thing that causes a brain conundrum for me is how much kids love being randomly swept off their feet unannounced. They think it’s awesome! But can you imagine!? You’re just living your life and suddenly something or someone 2 or 3 times your size just walks by, scoops you up, throws you into the air, swirls you around, sets you back down and walks on!? It’s absurd.

I really think adulthood makes us lose a lot of the sparkle available to us in life, and part of what I love about being a mom is the chance to get that back without too much judgment. You can do almost anything as long as you’re doing it in the name of childhood or motherhood. But take away the kids, and you’d mostly just look like a psycho.

Thank goodness our cherubs know how to really live in the moment and enjoy these strange little things. It all keeps me laughing and makes life interesting. And thank the heavens for the tickle monster working on kids, because I’d kill that mofo (but he sure does make mornings easier!) 😉

What do your kids love that, if not for them, you’d hate?

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to vote!