Give your kids a YES Day for Christmas | From a Photographer for High Desert Families
Jump for joy, it’s a YES Day!
I’ll be honest, as a creative photographer for High Desert families, I’ve always wanted to try this!
Imagine being a kid and waking up with a little note on your pillow. It says from this moment on, everything is always big fat YES. Could you imagine how fun that would be!? Heck, I’m an adult and want a YES day planned for me!
Ice cream for breakfast? YES.
Mom and Dad will wear silly shoes and weird pants to the park? YES.
A Christmas movie night in the middle of the afternoon, complete with cookies and cocoa, during summer? YES!
A YES Day is all about letting the kids take charge while the parents go along with everything.
YES Days aren’t just about being silly or frivolous. They give kids a chance to be in charge for once. It can really help build their confidence, and it’ll create some fun memories.
If you’re reading this and thinking Oh my gosh, I don’t want my kids to be in charge for a whole day! I can’t handle pizza for breakfast. Or, a day at the mall. We’ll go broke. You can set some rules and simple guidelines.
I created this easy guide to giving your kids the most magical YES Day right here in the High Desert (with boundaries).
Honestly, we’ve never done an actual YES day. However, we have had days where we start with ice cream for breakfast, watch a movie at the theater that my kids picked, and top off the night with pizza and root beer floats. In a sense, we’ve done yes days, but they were done before a “YES day” was a thing. My kids are older, but in a decade or so, I imagine doing a YES day with my grandkids.
The Rules for a YES DAY
Before your YES Day starts, it’s good to set some boundaries and rules.
Talk with your kids about what will be okay and what won’t fly.
Setting a monetary limit is a great start, unless you’re fine with dropping $5,000 on a toy shopping spree.
You might want any activity to stay up here in the High Desert, so you don’t spend the whole day driving. Southern California is big and full of traffic. Ha!
You can also set safety rules so nobody gets hurt– Saying no to your 7-year-old who wants to drive the family van. Might I suggest something like Pole Position or K1 Speed for that kid?
But, make the rules sound exciting: “We get to say YES to anything that follows these rules!”
That way, your kids are excited and want to dream big, but you know it’s all within reason.
If you have a large family, you could choose a YES day for one child to be in charge, and in 3 months, another child. Or, let them take the reins and decide together for one day.
And, don’t worry, they’ll live if all you eat is ice cream, cake, soda, and pizza for one day. Maybe pack a bag of baby carrots and apple slices for the car ride. ;)
You can set a dollar limit per child. Each one can spend $40 at the toy store. One child gets to pick what everyone will wear, ie, pajama day.
Menu Options for YES day:
Here’s a list of food choices that are fun for kids and still work for parents. They can pick, and you know it’s still safe and easy(ish). As moms, we don’t want to plan a 5-course meal after running around town all day. I know this.
Lists also help with option overload. You don’t want to spend the day arguing, and lists will help avoid shutdowns.
Write down three or four choices for each meal.
For breakfast, maybe donuts at Krispy Kreme in Victorville, waffles at home with whipped cream and strawberries, or pancakes at your favorite local diner like Rick’s Cafe in Pinon Hills (our favorite).
For lunch or dinner, offer their favorite pizza, a picnic and feeding the ducks at Hesperia park, or even ice cream sundaes for dinner– hey, bananas are healthy.
Next, create a list of activities.
You can stick them into similar groups:
Adventure (the Big Bear zoo, trampoline park, mini golf, a hike)
Chill Time (movie theater, storytime at the library, fishing at Mojave Narrows)
or Surprises (a splash pad (summer) or new playground)
To make it extra fun, print out a menu like a restaurant, create a bingo card, or roll it up like a treasure map. Hand it to your kids at breakfast so they feel like they’re planning their own big adventure.
Please keep it weather-appropriate. Nobody wants to go play mini golf when it’s 108 degrees out. Check the weather ahead of time, too. The High Desert climate is its own beast.
I have a couple of blog posts on great options and things to do up here, in the high desert. Click here. And, here.
End with a bang!
Ending YES Day with a tradition
YES Day can be hectic, busy, and a little wild. But the ending is where you can make it extra special.
Starting a family tradition to finish off your Yes Day will make it that much more magical. It gives kids something to look forward to at the end and adds something extra special.
You could stop for frozen yogurt at the same spot in the High Desert each time.
You could print one photo from the day and hang it on the fridge (of course, as a photographer for High Desert families, this one is my favorite). If you have more than one Yes Day a year, create an album for each year.
Or maybe you sit together at home and each person shares their “Best Yes” of the day.
As parents, we know, it’s all about ending the day together, looking back, and saying, “Wow, that was the best day ever.”
After we do a whole day of something fun, it’s a simple tradition to talk about our favorite things during that day. Whether we went to Disneyland, an airshow, SeaWorld, or grandpa’s house. We all share something we loved about the outing.
Have a Christmas YES Day.
The Christmas Version of a YES Day
Now for what you came for: the holiday version of a Yes day.
This is what actually brought on the idea to write a blog post about doing a Yes Day. With Christmas right around the corner, this is a fun way for the family to celebrate the season.
Give your kids a “Yes Day coupon” for Christmas. It’s a fun gift if they already have everything. And, it’s perfect if you like giving experiences instead of things.
Cuddle up on the couch and watch the movie “Yes Day” a few weeks in advance so they understand the concept.
You could make a stocking stuffer for each child and have the actual date pre-planned. Or, write a creative note and stick it inside a large box. Perhaps, it could even come from someone special ;)
The holiday season is filled with magic, and adding a YES day would be the cherry on top!
And, as busy as the season is, planning your Yes day during the month of December would add extra holiday magic and cheer.
As I said above, make a list of options. Look online to see what local events are happening. Tree lighting ceremonies, cookie decorating, Santa at the mall, cutting down a real Christmas tree, caroling in the park, sledding in the snow, etc.
Begin with food options, including green Christmas tree-shaped pancakes at home, donuts at Dunkin, or breakfast at IHOP.
You could opt for Chinese takeout for dinner a la A Christmas Story. Or, cheese pizza like Home Alone.
End the night with a drive in your favorite neighborhood to see the lights.
Activities can be as simple or extravagant as you want them to be.
The season can get chaotic and busy, as we all know. But, setting a single day aside to take in and enjoy the season instead of just “getting through it” will make it extra special.
The truth is, your kids don’t need extravagant trips or fancy toys to feel special.
They just want you, your time, and your “Yes.” That’s what actually makes a YES Day so special.
Yes Day can become a family tradition that your kids look forward to every year. And it might become your favorite day too! And, a day I don’t have to make any decisions is A-Okay in my book.
So pick a date, set some simple rules, and have all the fun!
Saying yes to your kids for one day might just be the best memory you ever make!
Looking for a Christmas Card idea for High Desert Families? Click Here!
I hope you loved reading this blog: Give your kids a YES Day for Christmas | From a Photographer for High Desert Families, and it has given you something shiny and new to try! If you’re looking for a High Desert Family Photographer to make your season special, click here to see my portfolio of Creative images.
Happy holidays, and good luck on YES Day!
Cheers,
Annette
Hi, I’m Annette, and I want to take fun portraits of you!
