positivity

Has there been a time in your life when you weren't worthless? Even if you answered yes, you probably still suck as a parent, and here's why. First off, most of you are humans, and by very nature, we humans hoover it up pretty badly. Also, having a kid is a big life change, and people resist change, therefore people suck.

Humans Suck

You can tell me that people are generally good, and have an innate propensity to do good, however, I'm not buying it. People, if given the option, will choose the most selfish option, which often takes them down the path of least resistance. That's not to say that there aren't ways of dealing with this evil side of human nature, but underneath it all, the suckiness is still there.

Your wife and kids don't get paid to diagnose your work problems. If they did, then they would probably be your boss! But, leaving work at work is much easier said than done. After all, for those parents who work outside the home, your work family may as well be like a second family, with all of those family quirks included.

First you've got the CEO's of the world, I mean grandma or grandpa. They're sitting in the corner trying to tell you how things were done in 'their day,' and how much easier life would be if you just did it the same way it's always been done.

Then there's the corporate worker in denial… I mean your crazy cousin Cal. He's always talking about how he's going to run away from home, open a tattoo shop, and stick it to his parents. Yet here he is, living in his parent's basement at the age of 28, still collecting an allowance.

And let's not forget about your co-workers, or your siblings. You're forced to share bunk beds (a cube farm) and Timmy wants the top bunk. This wouldn't be so bad, but when you're trying to finish up some last minute reading for school tomorrow, all you can hear is Timmy talking to his annoying girlfriend on the phone.

So as you can see, your work family is just that, a family… and usually a somewhat dysfunctional one. Why should you subject your real family to all the drama? Isn't one set of problems enough for them to deal with?

However, if you keep all of your work family's problems bottled up inside, they're bound to spill out at the most inopportune time. I believe if you apply the following list to your job, it will allow you to not only leave work at work (if you choose to), but talk about work in a more positive light.

1. Share stories (Good and Bad - a little complaining can be good for bonding).
2. Watch your emotions
3. When you are struggling, ask yourself, “How can I enjoy this situation?”
4. Creativity is vital at every job (Otherwise boredom sets in).
5. Trust your gut (Most of the time it will be right).
6. Be weird (We are all a little weird, embrace it and let it out).
7. It’s your responsibility to be happy at work.

I would like to thank Karl at WorkHappyNow.com for the list above (here in its entirety). He's out there spreading the word that you should be happy at work, and if you're not you should make that happen. Also, be sure to stop by dad-blogs for other great 'Fatherhood Friday' blog posts by some great dads.

The Smiley Kids once said: Turn your frown upside down, Make your lips go round and round.

How do you turn your child's mood from sour to sunny so that they are ready to move past the negativity? One of the most effective ways I have found is with what I like to call 'The Art Of Misdirection' (from now on referred to as TAOM). I'm sure you've all done it before, and grandparents seem to be especially good at TAOM.

Your child decides that today is the day that he or she is going to be unhappy. In a fit of rage, the child stomps off. However, in the effort to put on a show of displeasure, the child trips and crashes headlong into the wall. Immediately the scream is heard, followed by uncontrollable sobbing. That's when the TAOM expert swoops in with a pocket full of jellybeans, and the conversation goes something like this:

Hey, did you scrape your knee? Oh yeah? Well, jellybeans are really good. Would you like one or two?

Almost instantly, the tears dry up, and the wailing stops, as the sugary goodness finds it's way to the child's mouth. Some may call this bribing, I call it misdirection.

The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and it's a beautiful day to be outside playing. But when asked if he or she wants to go to the park, ride bikes, or some other enjoyable activity, the child refuses to participate. The conversation goes something like this:

Did you see that squirrel outside? I bet he likes to collect nuts. Do you like to eat peanuts? Oh yeah, well did you know that that thing on the end of a screw is called a nut? I bet there are some nuts on your bike. Man, that bike looks cool; I bet you would look super fly sitting on that bike…

Before you know it you're enjoying the outdoors, and the child doesn't even remember what the fuss was about in the first place.

If you liked this post, you may also like 'Stop Feeding The Monster.' Also be sure to check out fatherhood friday at dad-blogs.com