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Mary Nuckolls is a Champion of Childhood because she gives away money.
But not the way you think.
She’s not some rich heiress who has so much money she doesn’t know what to do with it. She’s not a professional philanthropist. She works at a preschool. Continue Reading →
It seems ridiculous at first. What if we dressed our delivery drivers like the Flash? Or the crowd control team at the stadium as Stormtroopers? Or our window washers as…Spiderman?
That’s exactly what John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital did a few months ago. Continue Reading →
The purpose of this post is to feature some of the repulsive results from the recent Ugly Cake Initiative (We shared our family’s experience here).
We heartily congratulate all the people who took up the challenge to fight Adultitis by whipping up something ugly in the kitchen. And we offer our sincere condolences to any brave souls who ingested any of the creations. (Although to be fair, most were reported to be very delicious.) Take that, Martha Stewart!
Without further ado, check out the gruesome goodness! Continue Reading →
It is official: making ugly treats is a foolproof way to annihilate Adultitis. Indeed, forgoing the stress that can come from trying to create a confection that might make Martha Stewart weep tears of joy is not nearly as fun as concocting something that would have her wailing and gnashing her teeth.
Although we have extolled the virtues of cooking up ugly cakes and cookies for some time, we had not actually undertaken the task — until now. We used the latest Small Rebellion, aka The Ugly Treat Initiative, as a fitting excuse to jump right in.
It’s easy to be intimidated by some of the giants who have come before us, with cakes so ugly they’d make Sloth from The Goonies recoil in horror. But engaging in some ugly treat frivolity needn’t be a burden. We went a simple route, which proved to be quick and easy without shortchanging any of the fun. Continue Reading →
According to the Interwebs, the first week of April is Laugh at Work Week. If there’s one thing work could use more of, it’s laughter.
Inspired by our most recent Champion of Childhood award winners who made an epic ugly cake for a co-worker, we are introducing a new Small Rebellion and we’d love to have you join us! It’s called The Ugly Treat Initiative, and the instructions are very simple:
Step 1) Make a delicious dessert that also happens to be really, really UGLY.
Step 2) Bring it to work to share.
Step 3) Enjoy laughter and improved morale with your colleagues. (And possibly be awarded a primo parking spot for a month.)
Step 4) Share your stories and pictures at one of the following locations:
You can tackle the mission when it’s most convenient, any time during the week. You can make cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, strudels…anything, really. Just make sure it’s sweet and tasty. And butt ugly.
The only other requirement is the sharing part, even if it’s not an official place of employment. Eating an ugly cake alone does not generate much laughter. And please, share this Small Rebellion with friends, families, and mortal enemies. The more the merrier!
Kathleen Molland, Jeanette Raab, and Susan Withey were at a speaking program I did in Williston, North Dakota. I told the Ugly Cookie story. Then these three took it to a whole new level. Here’s what happened, in the words of Kathleen: Continue Reading →
A few years ago, a TV reporter referred to me as “The Champion of Childhood.” Although I never received a jewel-encrusted crown or an oversized gold-plated belt, it’s a title I wear proudly. Admittedly, I don’t actually consider myself “THE” Champion, but rather “A” Champion of Childhood. There are scores of people infinitely more qualified than me in this arena, but I quite fancy the idea of acting as “a militant supporter and defender” of the ideals of childhood.
Ultimately, I like being a verb more than a noun.
Kim and I love using the platform we have to highlight the brilliant people who inspire us. The everyday folks who should also be considered Champions of Childhood. Recently, we decided to make this designation official. (In the same way a secret handshake required to gain entry into a treehouse is official.)
So I created a logo, and we made buttons and stickers and magnets and certification cards to bestow upon people we deem Champions of Childhood. (Because there is nothing more fun than making up an award and giving out prizes.) Continue Reading →
The first day of spring is Wednesday. How are you planning to celebrating it?
Wait…you weren’t?
A woman at a recent speaking gig shared with me a neat family tradition that I had to pass along. She grew up in Connecticut, and every year, on the first day of spring, her father would “kidnap” his kids and play hooky. They’d all load into the car as usual, but he’d eventually take a “wrong turn,” and they’d never quite make it to school. One time, he took them sledding to take advantage of a new blanket of snow on the ground. Another time they ended up at the Statue of Liberty. Since it was a weekday (and a rainy one at that), the crowds were light and they were able to ascend to the top without any waiting.
It reminds me of the dad who took his kids to the circus instead of taking them to school.
Don’t get me wrong. I think that a parent’s first job is to model consistency and instill responsibility in their children. That there is a need for people like the Supernanny is a crying shame.
But I also think it’s important to create scenes with your kids. And one of the best ways to do that is by breaking a rule, starting a small rebellion, and just playing hooky once in a while.
Of course, one needn’t have kids, or even grandkids for that matter, in order to break a rule and create a scene. We ALL need a day to play hooky once in a while.
You can call it a mental health day or a “sick of it” day, if that helps.
This Wednesday is the first day of spring. How will you celebrate it?
P.S. Like the Statue of Liberty art above? You can get it as a print, available in vanilla or chocolate. :)
“We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.”
Benjamin Franklin said that. Or maybe it was George Bernard Shaw or somebody else entirely; it seems the Internet can’t make up it’s mind. The sentiment is true, though. And as I like to remind people, grown-ups have the money, the skills, and the autonomy to take play to a level of awesome kids could only dream of.
Exhibit A: Nine guys, friends since high school, who have been engaged in an epic game of “Tag” for over 20 years.
It started as a way to have fun while they were in high school and it grew to be quite competitive. On the last day of school, Joe Tombari was stuck as the last player tagged as “It” and figured he was destined to spend the rest of his life with the label.
That is, until a reunion several years later rekindled talk of resurrecting the game. Even though the guys had grown-up, began careers, started families, and spread out across the country (one even became a priest), they concocted a brilliant way to keep the thrill alive. A Wall Street Journal article by Brian Dennehy describes the adaptation:
The game they play is fundamentally the same as the schoolyard version: One player is “It” until he tags someone else. But men in their 40s can’t easily chase each other around the playground, at least not without making people nervous, so this tag has a twist. There are no geographic restrictions and the game is live for the entire month of February. The last guy tagged stays “It” for the year.
That means players get tagged at work and in bed. They form alliances and fly around the country. Wives are enlisted as spies and assistants are ordered to bar players from the office.
The group even has an official “Tag Participation Agreement,” drafted by the lawyer in the group and signed by all. Of course, it includes a no “tag-back” clause, which prevents you from tagging the player who just tagged you.
The article goes on to explain some of the hijinks, including the time one guy was invited to check out a friend’s new Honda Accord. What he didn’t know was that his buddy Sean — the current “It” man — flew in from Seattle and was hiding out in the trunk of car and jumped out to tag him.
I love it. But what matters most is that Adultitis doesn’t.
Why not start a similar game of tag with some people in your life? High school friends, college roommates, family cousins, whoever. Is it silly? Sure. But it’s also an exhilarating way to fight Adultitis, and a terrific way to preserve friendships and stay connected.
Tag, you’re “It!”
I recently wrote about the importance of being ridiculous. A few days after I posted it, I came across a photo of a cardboard cat castle lovingly (and impressively) constructed by Mindy Holahan. (You may remember Mindy as the co-host of the Nerdkicks podcast and co-originator of the Sidewalk Chalk Small Rebellion we instigated last fall.)
Let’s face it: few things are more ridiculous than building a cardboard castle for your cats.
I was curious to know the backstory behind this curious castle, as it promised to be a good one. So I asked her about it. Mindy told me that she had just moved from Philadelphia to Minnesota after ending a nine-year relationship. Although a “maker” by nature, she had little interest in creating much of anything in the six months prior to her move. There were many reasons, of course, but Mindy admitted that a big one was that she was sad that her life wasn’t turning out the way she hoped, which naturally sapped much of her creativity. Continue Reading →
In the Adults Are Ruining Everything department, a kid got suspended for running around the field dressed as a banana during halftime of a high school football game.
My hero is reporter Pat Collins, who dresses up like a bunch of grapes for the interview. His best line:
“When you think about it, you might see their point. It starts with a banana, then all of a sudden you have an apple or an orange and maybe a grape and before you know it, you have FRUIT SALAD at the schools! We can’t have that.”
For years, Jason has been teasing me about my wardrobe around the house. I am the Mismatch Queen. “Homeless” is how he puts it, and I laugh — we both do. I DO HAVE matching comfy clothes. My mother-in-law faithfully supplies her three daughter-in-laws with cute new pj’s every Christmas Eve. (Thanks, Linda!)
And yet, when I enter my closet to “get cozy” (as Lucy puts it), I walk away looking like I am colorblind.
Why? I’m not sure.
But, I’ve come to the conclusion recently that “why” is the wrong question. Continue Reading →
One of the attendees of last summer’s Escape Adulthood Summit was inspired by the Barbarian birthday party we held to celebrate our son Ben turning one. She wanted to have one with her family on Christmas Eve, but she was worried about how it would be received. Unsurprisingly, it would be quite a departure from their normal holiday traditions.
Judging by the pictures she sent, it seems like it went over pretty well. (Bonus points for the twisty straw!)
Sometimes the biggest hurdle to initiating a Small Rebellion is our own fear. That feeling of dread or uncertainty is Adultitis’ last stand against against you. 90% of the time, our attempts at a Small Rebellion will be well received and much appreciated. So maybe it falls flat the other 10% of the time.
The cool thing? In either scenario, Adultitis loses.
“The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear.” — U2, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
I recently became aware of a website called ridiculo.us, an online community dedicated to the encouragement, development, and execution of ridiculous ideas. Their most recent project is to fake a marathon. That’s right. On February 2nd, people all over the world (including me and Kim) are going to be taking and sharing pictures of themselves stretching, running, and finishing a marathon. They will be decked out in official race t-shirts and bib numbers. The only catch is that the race is 100% fake.
Even the most Adultitis-free among us might wonder why someone would want to fake a marathon. But maybe the real question should be, “Why not?” Continue Reading →
This is a cool story (and video) of how a dad sent his son’s favorite toy train into the stratosphere. Pretty amazing what one can accomplish with a weather balloon, an HD camera, a GPS-equipped phone, and a little imagination.
And after watching the video, it appears as though the train had the time of his life.
A few months back, we highlighted a Denver neighborhood that had banned children’s sidewalk drawings, calling them "a distracting and offensive blight." Hopefully you don’t live in a neighborhood like that. (If you do, hopefully you’ve dutifully covered the sidewalks with chalk drawings.)
Well, it’s been a while since we hosted an “official” Small Rebellion, but we figured it was time for a new mission, and sidewalk chalk is going to be the star. Continue Reading →
It’s not a real birthday unless someone gets kidnapped by ninjas. Continue Reading →
Adultitis is one of the biggest problems our world faces today. A bold statement, perhaps, especially if you’ve never even heard of the disease before.
A condition that affects at least 75% of the world population, Adultitis creates conflict that keeps us from working together. It stamps out curiosity that could have found a better way, while plundering the laughter that helps heal wounds. And Adultitis beats down and belittles dreams that might have made a difference. A big problem, indeed.
One might assume that the only way to defeat such a giant problem would be through giant solutions. But alas, Adultitis cannot be defeated by government legislation, well-financed corporate initiatives, or even an army of powerful tanks.
When it comes to fighting Adultitis, size, money, and might don’t matter one whit. Continue Reading →
Guy grows his hair out for three years. He shaves it all off, and glues it into a wig. Then he poses for photos with friends and family, and when they’re not looking, pulls it off so he can get their reactions on video.
Why?
“So I could put it on my head and trick people!”
I learned about this video from Joey who said, “To hear a grown man give a reason that was that simple was pretty awesome.”
I couldn’t agree more. “Because it’s fun” is all the reason most kids need to do anything. The childlike spirit within you doesn’t need a big, complicated reason to come out and play. Any small rebellion will do.
Apparently, chalk drawings of hearts and flowers is a “distracting and offensive blight” on a Denver community. The homeowner’s association in three-year-old Emerson Cohen’s neighborhood has temporarily banned children from drawing on sidewalks, saying “anything that offends, disturbs or interferes with the peaceful enjoyment is not allowed on shared spaces.”
Yeah, because children’s chalk drawings wreak all kinds of havoc on my peaceful enjoyment of pretty much anything. Continue Reading →
Here’s a small rebellion for you. While on a long flight, Nina Katchadourian spontaneously put a tissue paper toilet seat cover over her head and took a picture in the mirror using her cellphone. It reminded her of 15th-century Flemish portraiture. So she took more of them, using materials close at hand.
I love the contrast between the serious poses and the silly concept.
Proof that if you’re on a long flight and find yourself bored, you’re not trying hard enough.
You lose your wallet. Doh!
You retrace your steps and realize that you accidentally threw it in the recycle bin. Idiot!
You discover that the trash has already been picked up for the day. You cannot be serious!
It dawns on you that you now get to spend a few hours calling banks and insurance companies followed by a trip to the DMV. Son of a…
How’s your day going?
If you’re like most people, your day becomes a shame bagel with frustration frosting and anger sprinkles on top.
I have fond memories from childhood of May Day. We’d cut some of our beautiful irises and gently put them in homemade construction paper cones along with some candy and run giddily over to our neighbor Lois’ house to surprise her. The best part was ringing the doorbell and running away. When else can you do this?! Continue Reading →
We’re often told that the secret to happiness is to take the road less traveled. Oftentimes, it certainly seems like there must be a better way to do things than our current approach. But the problem is that the “beaten” path is so well-paved, well-marked and well-lit, that frankly, it can be hard to imagine that there could even be another way, let alone a better one.
One small example is the arena of organized sports. My kids are too young to be involved in things like baseball or soccer, but I hear stories of peers who are looking down the barrel of a summer in which the majority of weeknights and weekends will be spent at the ball field. For some families, this is a cause for joy, but for most, it brings a feeling of dread. Apparently, it’s a necessary evil required to make sure our children are well-adjusted, socially competent and attractive to institutions of higher learning.
And besides, everyone’s doing it. Continue Reading →
