Tickle Fight Safe Words

When I was a little girl, I loved to play the tickle game with my daddy. He would tickle me as much and more than I wanted. You know how when you're being tickled and you're having so much fun, laughing and wrestling around and then you playfully start begging for them to stop, but it goes on for a little while longer. Then you can't breathe and it gets to be more serious. Well, we had rules for just such an occasion. I would breathlessly yell at him to stop it as I was laughing my little guts out. He would ask, "Stomp it?" and continue to tickle me and as I was gasping for air, I'd holler, "No! Daddy!!! STOP!!!".

The other rule was whenever I said, "above the line", he was supposed to only tickle me above my belly button, because I was SO terribly ticklish on my legs and feet that I couldn't handle it below the line. So, in theory he was supposed to tickle my ribs or neck. When I was laughing so hard that I couldn't breath, I would yell, "Above the line" and he would keep tickling me and jokingly ask, "Buff the Lion?". I LOVED it and it really pissed me off at the same time.

I still love tickle fights. Keri and I have tickle fights sometimes and she ALWAYS wins. She is a little longer limbed than me and this adds leverage to her advantage. The differences between tickling with Keri and my Dad are many, but the main things to me are that my Dad was way bigger than me, MUCH stronger and Keri is more respectful of my demands for air.

I do miss my Dad sometimes and I'm glad to have fun memories with him, but my tickle fights with him are a mixed bag of feelings. Tickle fights with Keri over the years taught me a great deal about respect. Garrison and I used to have tickle fights too and I admit that I tickled him longer that he wanted me to at times. It wasn't until I had tickle fights with Keri that I was able to establish a rule with Garrison during our tickle fights that actually worked.

We agreed that part of the fun was to yell, "Stop it!" as someone was tickling you, but when you REALLY wanted them to stop the ultimate STOP phrase was, "Respect my wishes". These words carried over into other areas of our lives and it's really amazing how these three little words ended up being so empowering, not only to Garrison, but to myself as well.

When phrased is such a way, how could you do anything but respect someone's wishes? This is not to be confused with the fact that I always did what Garrison wanted, because I certainly did not. However, it did frame our relationship with respect and I did always attempt to be respectful of his feelings. Respect is a very valuable quality to have in any relationship. I think it's overlooked sometimes in reference to children because we as adults think we know what is best for them, but what could be better for them than respecting their wishes whenever possible and being a living example of a quality we hope they carry forward into all of their relationships. Especially the relationship we're developing with them this very moment.

TRUTH

Here's a fact that we all should really get comfortable with, there's way more that we don't know about life than what we do know.

And the sooner the better.

I sure do love you.

It is truly amazing how reality shifts when you change your mind.

Simple living. Grateful, so grateful for what I have.

Yes! You have a choice.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Goodnesses this last Friday. Who are the Goodnesses? and Why do I call them the Goodnesses? I knew you were wondering so, I just thought I'd facilitate those questions for you. The Goodnesses are one of my very best friends little girls. Their names are Lexi who is 3 years old and Taylor, who'll be two in July.

Calling them The Goodnesses evolved from when Lexi was a baby. Every time Shanna would show someone her picture they would say, "Oh my goodness" and proceed with various forms of oohing and aahing about how adorable she was and still is. Naturally, Shanna began to call Lexi, "My Goodness" and when Taylor came along we had MG and MG2. So, in short I just started referring to them as The Goodnesses. See?

Why am I telling you about The Goodnesses? Good question. I did have a reason for bringing them up, so let's begin. After we had been playing at the PlayDate PDX indoor park, we went back to Shanna's house and the girls took their naps. Shanna had some errands to run, so I stayed at the house with the sleepy girls. Taylor was the first to wake up and she was hungry. I placed her in her high chair and got out the food Shanna had prepared for just such a situation. She had grapes cut into halves, chicken, cheese and tomatoes all cut into Taylor bite sized pieces. I got her a sippy cup with some water and we were sitting there face to face as she was eating.

We were playing the, let me tell what each bite I take is going to be game. Chicken? Yes, that's chicken. Gapes? Yes, you're eating grapes. She was laughing and it as completely adorable. Then she picked up her sippy cup for a drink and there are two places in the high chair tray to hold a cup. When she sat the cup down she placed it in the other cup holder.

She looked up at me inquisitively, as if she were checking in with me to see if it was ok to place the cup in a different place. I reassured her that it was fine and realized this was the perfect opportunity to introduce the concept that she has a choice. I said, Look at that Taylor you have options, as I pointed to the two cup holders in her tray. I pointed to one and said, Here's an option and then pointed to the other and said, here's another option. Then I asked can you say, I have a choice? She said it!!!

In her cute little abbreviated version she said, "I ava chce." Why does that thrill me so much? I'll tell you why!!! It is just the beginning for her to realize that she has choices in life and a little reminder for the rest of us. Whether we are trying to decide where to set our drinking glass or what we want to focus our feelings on today, we have a choice.

Life is tough and full of ups and downs. There are plenty of reasons to be sad, disappointed, hurt or angry and a myriad of other negative feelings, but how does it make you FEEL to be focused on the negative? I feel like it sucks!!! I don't like to feel down. Luckily, I have a choice and I am aware.

Teaching Taylor that she has a choice, even if it's only where to set her cup for now, in the long run, will be a tremendous coping skill in her life. Being aware of having a choice empowers you to take your life experience to the next level and the next and the next.