Kids’ night made mom’s night!

It was a Monday night in the McKee household. Kids’ night. This means the kids determine our menu, our activities, they make all of the decisions — except when bedtime is!

So we set out to make tacos. I took care of the cooking and grating while my seven-year-old cut cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and onions, my five-year-old set the table and put all of the ingredients and condiments on the table. My daughter elected that we drink from “princess cups” (AKA wine glasses). It was shaping up to be a grand occasion!

We love when we have tacos because it enables all of us to dig in with our hands and get “dirty”. Making a mess is inherent. My daughter enjoyed a taco salad while my son smothered his taco in beef, cheese, taco sauce and sour cream. No one at the table ate the same thing, yet one thing remained true — we devoured it all!

We gobbled up our dinner, the kids helped clear the table and I did the dishes. I declined their requests to help with the dishes. Our dog sniffed the floor for scraps, while my daughter began her craft session: ripping up napkins and gluing them to construction paper. This motivated her brother to finger paint. A mess ensued but it mattered not to me because it is a rare occasion that my children are not bickering.

I stand at the island, marveling at the silence. I can see creativity all around them and I am content.

I turn to my laptop, launch iTunes and listen to “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” by Lou Rawls. Nothing like good music to get the creative energy flowing…

It was a moment in which all three of us were engaged yet together. All three of us were doing something we enjoyed but we were still in the same room. All three of us were humming along and I was, as a mother, at peace. I said a silent ‘thank you’ to the universe and took a snapshot in my head. ‘These are precious moments,’ I say to myself.

But it didn’t end there! My children astounded me when they cleaned up the mess on their own, without any prodding. I was impressed, as we headed upstairs to bed.

The kids and I headed up to bed to start our nighttime routine. Once teeth were brushed and flossed, pyjamas on, the kids cuddled up to me and prepared for their stories. Then, they both leaned in to me, kissed me on the cheek and said, “Mommy, I love you.” (And this is rare considering my son, never gives kisses!)

So what do I take from that Monday evening? It seems that when I give my children more choice, more responsibility and trust in them, they make me proud. That when I stop trying to control everything we may as a family have less bickering and much more enjoyable family time.

All I know is that I want more of that.

Kids’ night proved to be an amazing night and something that Mommy will encourage on a more regular basis.