Good job?

I admit it, when I first heard that it wasn't good to say, "Good job!", I didn't get it. I didn't get it at all. What could possibly be bad about saying, "Good job!", I wondered?? Now I cringe when I hear the phrase, particularly when it's directed at my little ones.

Imagine if every time you did something ordinary the people around you said, "Good job!". You wouldn't believe it and kids don't either. As it turns out, kids are pretty smart.

Scribbled something on a piece of paper! Good job!!
Ate a bean? Good job!!
Got dressed? Good job!!

When you think about it, this stuff is pretty silly. Are there times when, "Good job!", might be appropriate? Sure, but it's far better to praise the process, not the result.

Disneyland!!

I've been a little skeptical about Disneyland. I had heard that the lines are long and I had the general feeling that once you've been there might be some pressure to return (among other things). Still, it's a difficult place to resist over time when living in Southern California with young children, particularly when one has scored some free tickets.

So, in celebration of Island Boy's birthday, we finally did it...we went to Disneyland!!

He loved it! And, to be honest, we loved it, too. From Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters to the Monorail, Island Boy loved it all. He even loved his first roller coaster, such as it was. (The big question there was "why is it such a short ride??". Great question, son.)

The lines were perfectly manageable but that wasn't really the issue. Our little Island Boy did SO well. He was clearly fading near the end of our visit and, as hard as it is for most adults to recognize when they've reached their limits, Island Boy seemed to recognize that he was reaching his and we left the park just as smoothly as we arrived. All in all, a really lovely visit and a wonderful way to celebrate Island Boy's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Island Boy!!