Awhile back, inspired by both blogger Elise and this book, I decided to try a spontaneous “Yes Day” here and there with my boys. I was nervous at first to see what their requests would be, but overall, they’ve been really reasonable and pretty darn adorable. Past Yes Days have included cupcakes for breakfast, a trip to the trampoline park, and inexplicably, a visit to Ikea! A Yes Day was something we hadn’t done yet this summer, so I saved it for my last day of summer vacation before I headed back to school. My Yes Day rules are as follows:

*Both kids either have to agree on what we do OR agree to split up the day (so they each get to pick some activities)

*The boys don’t find out it’s Yes Day until they wake up– no premeditated crazy plans!

*Everyone needs to remain kind and respectful all day to keep Yes Day going

So, this past week at breakfast, I announced that it was Yes Day. I was prepared for craziness– requests for candy, ice cream sundaes, trips to the toy store– but the boys were really calm and methodical about their plans. After much hashing out, they arrived at the following itinerary: Beach trip for some crabbing and fishing, packed lunch on the boardwalk, browsing the fish at the pet store, ice cream, and playtime on the school playground. Little do they know I was prepared for way more craziness! The day was pretty tame, although still exhausting. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t say yes to everything…my younger son requested to spend the day hanging out at his new kindergarten teacher’s house, but…we settled on the school playground instead. Otherwise, it was a lovely, fun day, and the perfect ending to our summer. If you’re looking for a fun way to spend your Labor Day weekend and haven’t tried a Yes Day with your kids, I highly recommend it! I’ve loved seeing what my kids enjoy doing most, and our Yes Days have made for some great memories together.