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My parenting skills have been stretched to the limit lately. All that seems to come out of my mouth is the word ‘no’. I say it constantly to our twin daughters. No to us getting a dog. No to them getting a phone. No to all that make-up before school. And boyfriends? Don’t go there.

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I feel like a right grumpy curmudgeon. I was always so positive and carefree before having kids.ÌýA thrower of caution to the wind. So in an effort to restore some fun and adventure to our family life - we gave the girls a ‘Yes Day’. It’s an American phenomenon recently popularised in a Hollywood film. Basically, in return for household chores and good behaviour, they get 24 hours where we can’t say ‘no’. The kids are in charge. Admittedly, we made a few ground rules.ÌýLargely to avoid bankruptcy and becoming overrun with Labradoodle puppies. But essentially anything went.

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I was nervous. Overheard the girls planning extreme makeovers and outrageous haircuts. And that was just for me. But in the end, our Yes Day was a triumph. Of course there was mountains of junk food and an endless shopping expedition. But it was also a day full of play and laughter.ÌýTime to treasure just being together. It also highlighted some deeper, quite painful truths.

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Surprisingly, what the twins really craved was our undivided attention.ÌýThey confiscated our phones.ÌýAnd our laptops.ÌýAll talk about work was banned. They wanted us fully present and undistracted. It did us the power of good. Reminded me how healing and helpful saying yes can be sometimes. It’s certainly been a recurring theme in my spiritual life.

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The Christian faith journey calls for a daily, deep kind of yes to Jesus’s challenge of loving and serving others. Even when that’s costly, painful or just annoyingly inconvenient. I’ve found that this sacrificial kind of yes is always the most challenging - but also the most life-giving, and transformative. The kind that makes the most difference. Our Yes Day certainly taught me some valuable lessons. Not least in being more trusting and attentive. That said, I am bit concerned about the girls’ latest request. They’ve asked to join a boxing club - with some boys from school. Surely that’s a yes too far, Zoe?

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