My lovely wife put me on to this daily email about parenting called “The Daily Groove.”  It’s short, simple and to the point and the emails often contain great tid-bits of wisdom.  Here’s the one that came today:

:: Growing Down ::

Phrases like “child’s play” and “cry like a baby” and “grow up!” expose an unspoken belief of our culture: children are expected to have fun and express their feelings openly, while grown-ups are expected to accept that life is mostly a grind with little room for authenticity.

Perhaps, then, our desire for our children to be happy and authentic is partly a wish for ourselves. Luckily, *modeling* is the most effective parenting tool, so let’s model authenticity and lightness today by “growing down”…

* Eat spaghetti with your fingers
* Wear shoes that don’t match
* Wear no shoes at all… in the rain
* Don’t delay gratification
* Scream when you feel like it
* Pee in the grass!

No need to worry what other grown-ups might think.  Just tell them you’re sacrificing your adultness for the good of your children. 🙂

Enjoy and here’s to good mental health.