Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Karol Ladd, a former teacher, has authored twenty-one books, including the best-selling Silver Angel Award-winning The Power of a Positive Mom. The founder and president of Positive Life Principles, Inc. and co-founder of a character-building club called USA Sonshine Girls, Karol loves sharing creative ideas for families and positive principles for life. She and her husband, Curt, have two daughters and reside in Dallas, Texas.

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a positive plan for creating more fun, less whining

W Publishing Group

Contents

Introduction: Pure and Simple Fun.......................................ix1. Laughter: The Perfect Glue for Family Bonding.........................12. How to Raise a Whiner.................................................8Step One: Adopt a New Attitude3. Being Fun.............................................................234. Creative Ideas for Every Season.......................................345. Boredom Busters.......................................................496. Stuff to Have on Hand for Quick and Easy Fun..........................59Step Two: Enjoy Family Time7. Terrific Travel Tips..................................................698. Keeping Your Sanity While Shopping....................................809. Five Ingredients for Enjoying a Delightful Meal.......................9010. Reaching Out in Compassion...........................................103Step Three: Build Fond Memories11. Grab a Theme and Run with It.........................................11312. How to Throw a Brilliant Birthday Bash...............................12613. Every Occasion Can Be a Great Occasion...............................138Step Four: Welcome Friends and Family14. Outdoor Games and Adventures.........................................15315. A Simple Guide to Indoor Fun.........................................16416. Survival Tips for Sleepovers and Slumber Parties.....................174Conclusion: Serendipity.................................................185Books and Resources......................................................191Notes....................................................................193

Chapter One

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Genuine laughing is the vent of the soul, the nostrils of the heart, and it is just as necessary for health and happiness as spring water is for a trout.

JOSH BILLINGS

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

PROVERBS 17:22

When is the last time you had a good, hearty laugh? Really, honestly, take a moment to think about it. Hopefully you don't have to think back too far. Sometimes just the memory of a gut-wrenching guffaw starts me laughing all over again. (I had to stop writing several times during this paragraph just to regain my composure.)

Without a doubt, a good dose of humor levels some of the bumps in life and lightens the load of our day-to-day routine. Victor Hugo said, "Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." I'd add that laughter is the sunshine that melts the winter frost that sometimes settles on human relationships.

We need to laugh more often with family and friends. Not only is it good for our health; it's good for our life. Perhaps you are thinking, But I don't feel like laughing. My life is the pits right now. I want to invite you to take a short mental vacation from the pit you are in and travel to a place of heartfelt joy. You will find that as you fill your heart and mind with cheer, your perspective may change on the challenges you face.

Now, I don't want to gloss over the fact that there are times in our lives when we must grieve and cry. As Solomon said, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven ... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4). Realistically, there are certain times in all of our lives when we must work through the pain of loss or hurt or grief. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not diminishing the importance of those times, but I am saying that there are many opportunities for delight and laughter as well. And sometimes humor may be the God-given salve that helps soothe the hurt and heal the pain.

Superglue

Humor can be sticky. By that, I mean that laughing together can bring family members closer and create a unique bonding by smoothing over some of the prickly edges. In his book The Laughter Prescription, Dr. Laurence Peter says humor serves an important role in easing tensions, both in the individual and in relationships with others. "Laughter provides the outlet for otherwise unacceptable feelings, behaviors and impulses by facilitating talking about or acting out conflicts and emotions in a safe, nonthreatening way."

My dear friend Beth, mother of four, can attest to the blessing of laughter. When her youngest son was a curious toddler, he happened to find several paint bottles on the kitchen table. Being the industrious toddler that he was, he wanted to paint with his newfound treasure. Unfortunately, there were no paintbrushes to help him out; but who needs paintbrushes when you have open a positive plan for creating more fun, less whining bottles of paint? Little Kyle took a bottle in each hand. While holding them upside down, he walked through the beautifully carpeted family room, then the dining room, and was about to enter the kitchen when he met up with Beth.

She will never forget this poignant moment of decision. Here she stood, looking at her proud toddler with nearly empty paint bottles and her newly decorated carpet. At this point she could have screamed bloody murder or she could have stayed quiet, calm, cool, and collected. Neither of these options worked for her. Instead, she began to laugh hysterically. The humor of the moment had hit her like a wave of cool, fresh water. She knew her son had not done this out of direct disobedience or defiance. It was simply childhood foolishness. Yes, he needed to learn not to do it again, and that would come in a moment.

Wise Beth chose to make this a fond family memory. You can be sure that either way it would have been a memory, but Beth chose a fond memory through laughter instead of a horrible memory through screaming. She gathered the family together for a good laugh. They took pictures, and then they all worked together to clean up the mess. The sibling who left the paint bottles out had double duty, I'm sure. Kyle's paint incident happened almost twenty years ago, but the family still laughs about it to this day-thanks to Beth's ability to see the lighter side of life.

Certainly we can't laugh at every wrong thing our kids do. We shouldn't make them think that it's OK or funny to make a mess or act irresponsibly. Handle laughter with wisdom, but don't miss opportunities to allow laughter to build your family memories and bond you in the process.

The Laugh Cure

Humor helps keep family challenges and unforeseen circumstances in perspective, and it can prevent our stress levels from rising out of control. Yes, humor can have a healing effect both emotionally and physically. A number of years ago, Norman Cousins, the famous editor of the Saturday Review, was told he had a severe case of an incurable, progressive, connective tissue disease. He decided that instead of sitting around and allowing the pain to take over, he would become proactive in his healthcare management and especially in his attitude. One of the things he decided to do was to obtain copies of old television shows and movies he had always enjoyed, such as Candid...