It’s Noah’s birthday. He turns four today, and as I contemplate just how incredible and special a human being he is, I can’t help but think that I should do something special to honor his awesomeness.
So, I hereby dub today International Act Like a 4-Year-Old Day! Participation and observance of this new holiday is mandatory. If you don’t participate, you’ll be sent to your room, and won’t get to play Nintendo for a week!
To properly celebrate IALA4YOD (it just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) you should make sure to do the following throughout the day.
- You should believe there’s no reason for anybody not to like you.
- You should wiggle your butt while you dance, and not care what anybody thinks when you do.
- You should sing your heart out even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket.
- You should not stress about money today. At all. Unless that stress is because you don’t have a quarter for the gum ball machine.
- You should not hold any grudges. Unless it’s aimed toward the dog for eating one of your Lincoln Logs.
- You should insist on hugging everybody before you leave anywhere.
- You should look at everything around you as wondrous and new.
- You should ask questions and learn the answers to things you don’t know.
- You should be quick to forgive those who do wrong to you or hurt you. Unless it’s the dog/Lincoln Log thing.
- You should sit down and take the time to color a picture, doing your absolute best to stay within the lines.
- You should look at your parents as people who know more about life than you do.
- You should live in the present.
- You should run or skip from room to room.
- You should create something wonderful with building blocks or Legos.
- You should show off something you’re passionate about to the people you love.
- You should use your outside voice inside. Make sure to get right in somebody’s face when you do.
- You should not care about who’s cool and who’s not cool. Be friends with everyone.
- You should not notice the color of other people’s skin.
- You should take a nap.
- You should let your imagination take you places you’ve not been in a long time.
- You should ask why about the things you have always believed but never questioned.
- You should go somewhere fun like the zoo, an aquarium, or a theme park.
- You should get on your bike with nowhere specific to go.
- You should tell somebody they’re your best buddy.
- You should have no reason to believe you won’t be good at something new.
- You should sit cross-legged on the floor while you watch TV.
- You should do things because they sound crazy or fun, not because they sound important.
- You should wear mismatching clothes and enjoy it.
- You should laugh. A lot.
- You should be as silly as you possibly can.
- You should show your vulnerabilities.
- You should show your fears.
- You should share your food with someone you love.
- You should call up a friend and ask if they can play.
- You should ask for help with something you’ve been too prideful to ask for help with.
- You should say the words hoe, coke, and blow without thinking dirty thoughts (thanks Tim McGraw for that one).
- You should make a “pretty card” for somebody you love.
- You should make a big mess and not clean it up.
- You should stop thinking about the crap that happened yesterday.
- You should also stop thinking about the crap that happened five minutes ago.
- You should change your mind about something when you realize somebody else has a better way to do it.
- You shouldn’t listen when people tell you no.
- You shouldn’t listen when people tell you that you can’t do something.
- You should build a fort with blankets and chairs and then sleep in it.
- You should giggle like crazy when you accidentally fart in public.
And that’s it. Pretty simple list, really! Why did we all have to go and become grown-ups anyway?
Also, be sure to check back tomorrow, I’ll be posting a proper birthday post.
Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing
PS. What other attributes do children have that we would all do well to emulate a little more? Have you ever just let go of adult life and tried to be a kid for the day?
So charming and what a great way to celebrate how very special our kids (and, in my case, grandkids) are to us. Thanks!
Happy Birthday Noah.
Happy Birthday Young man. Have a wonderful birthday...
Happy Birthday,Little Man:)
)()()()( HAPPY BIRTHDAY )()()()()(
I want to bring my four year old over for a playdate. Alas, we're in Wisconsin. Happy Birthday Noah!
Happy Birthday Noah! and Dad, you need bigger list already - this was like jsut the morning to us :D my son is 4 and you are right on truck - you'll need more "deeds" to that list :D
Happy Birthday , Noah !!
Awesome! Love it!
ThenI should go around saying "amd the what, Mommy?" in answer to the reaponse to my quest "Why?"
It is. He said this was the first one he ever did.
Happy birthday to Noah!
i thought it was 6 -year old day from your post earlier?
I'm gonna get right on number 19!
Happy Birthday Noah!!
This is Great man!
I think if we acted more like this life would be a lot simpler
Happy Birthday Noah =-)
I remember that day. :)
BEST POST EVER!!!
I always ask people if they want to play! Sadly, I've had many people tell me not to ask them to "play". Apparently it's not an acceptable word. Needless to say, I still "play" all the time!
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This is the sweetest post ever. I want to act like a 4 year old every day.
You should hold hands when crossing the street, making up for your parents' incredible slowness by bouncing feverishly up and down the whole way, and JUMP up onto the curb instead of stepping. And if you get your face painted at a party or amusement park, you get so excited you forget to say "thank you" and run around either roaring like a tiger or proclaiming "I'm a orange frog princess fairy!"
How about play with your food (especially if it works well for finger painting the table) and don't worry if people give you funny looks :-)
I am an Early Childhood Educator and much of that list is why I chose this as my profession. I learn so much from the young children I interact with daily and am grateful that I get to help them learn through play. There is nothing like seeing like seeing life through a child's eyes....
Didn't see this till today. But going to take the nap right now and celebrate. BTW I am changing number 10 to colour OUTSIDE the lines, just because that is how the 3 almost 4 y/o plays it in this house.
Happy IALA4YO-DAY! Happy Birthday to Noah and, happy day to his parents who first became parents 4 years ago. Blessed be.
I think your list of things to do on IALA4YOD is an exceptional list of things that we should try to do every day. If we followed just a few of those rules each and every day this world would be a much happier place. Happy Birthday to handsome little Noah. There is truly no better gift than the love of a child.
Happy belated b-day to Noah! :)
i will work hard to do all of these things every day, not just today! :D
My recent post time for some change…
Love it!
Have a wonderful, crazy, silly, love-filled, happiest-ever birthday, Noah! I hope my son-on-the-way is just like you when he's four.
After reading this list I vote to make EVERY day International Act Like A 4 Year Old Day!!
Awww. ^_^ Happy birthday little guy!
My Kiddos dance for no reason, randomly break out in song ( I do indulge in joining in on this one), have no boundaries to their creativity, hug puppies and kitties of all shapes and sizes, come up with amazing ways to help others, tuck me in bed when I am too tired to go on, nurse me back to health when I am sick and say the most randomly off the wall one liners to make me laugh when they can see I am having a bad day! I am so blessed! ____Shonda
I hope Noah had an amazing 4th Birthday!! Hope the party was great!! Happy Birthday Noah!
Guess I'm pretty much a four year old everyday! I highly recommend it!
Happy Birthday to your lovely little boy.
My youngest is 4, its such a wonderful age or learning, exploration and adventure. Great list of things :)
Pure awesome!
My recent post 7 Ways to Be Your Best Self
Priceless post, Dan. I really thought about all the things to do to celebrate IALA4YO Day, and it made me think that if we all behaved like that, the world would be a much better place. 4-year-olds know how to do it right, and thanks for helping us learn from them.
Kudos for a timeless post!
My recent post Six Months Ago
Happy Birthday Noah!
Happy Birthday Noah! It's my daughter Lily's 3rd birthday, so what an awesome day!
Happy Birthday Noah!
Dear Dan,
I had to smile at your post this morning. Our son Matthew (also adopted) turns 4 this Sunday as well. We love your blog! Happy 4th Birthday Noah!!
Awww, Happy Birthday Noah! :)
Happy birthday Noah!!!
Happy B-day Noah!!
Hope you have a good day!! 4 years old!!! What a great age!!!
It's somewhat ironic then that I saw Noah with his mom and some other family members at IHOP this morning. My family's table was right next to their's and Noah is such a cutie. I overheard him burp and then say, "scuse me" four times. Someone leaned over to him and said, "Noah, since you're the birthday boy you only have to say excuse me once." His face lit up.
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Happy Birthday, Noah!!!
Dan, this is marvelous.
My recent post On Timeless Beauty
Happy Birthday, Noah!! :)
I actually printed out "the list." I plan on placing a copy of it on my bathroom mirror, my refridgerator and in my car. The only thing I am changing is #10: I will *not* be concerned about "coloring in the lines." ~:D
Krikit ~:) LUV it!!!!!
I'm rockin' the mismatched clothes. Not necessarily in Noah's honor, but it works! Here's to the big 0-4!!! Have a good one, Noah!
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