Backwards Day-April Fools Day for Kids

Celebrate Backwards Day with Us!

One of the favorite activities at my home is Backwards Day…and just saying the words brings a huge smile of excitement to my kids. We give them about a day’s notice, them tell them to be prepared, tomorrow is going to be Backwards Day. I thought this would make a great memory for April Fools Day, so I’m sharing our family fun.

Backwards Day at the Smith home means that we put our kids in charge. Yes, the kids are going to make the rules for the entire day. Starting with breakfast, my husband and I wake up and ask the “parents” “What’s for breakfast?” They always answer the same, “donuts.” They’ve made their first decision of the day. We dress for the visit to the donut store, sometimes we wear the “wrong” clothes and wait for the kids to tell us to change, or they will not bring us. We get a little obnoxious at the donut shop, waiting for the kids to discipline us. Throughout the day, we tell them that we’re “bored” and have nothing to do. So they offer suggestions and teach us how to have some fun.

As the day continues, we beg and plead and tease the kids, often using the same demands and excuses they use. We ask to play with our friends and they say “Did you finish your homework?” Or we ask if we can have ice cream before dinner, and they again correct us in our decisions. We go to the grocery store and ask for lots and lots of junk food; they only let us buy a little bit. We ask for sleepovers with our adult friends, and the kids laugh hysterically. We have some “fake” arguments like a brother and sister, then let our kids solve the problem. Yes, the kids have sent us to “time out” for arguing. All day, the kids enjoy being in charge, and all day long, my husband and I enjoy watching them learn from “Backwards Day.”

The official Backwards Day started this morning, with truckloads of donuts and sneaky smiles from the kids. After stuffing my face with the forbidden sugar, I proceeded to dress for the day and wear my “Maid Outfit.” Yes, it was the perfect time to pull out those handmade preschool gifts, including the colorful apron I received for Mothers Day. This Apron is decorated with the handprints of a three-year-old artist and a photo of my daughter with the words “Happy Mothers Day.” Wearing the Maid Outfit and holding my FlyLady Feather Duster, I asked my excited children “Who’s first? Who gets the Mommy Maid and what chores shall I do?” I’m too busy serving my kids, so check back later today and see what happened.