Guest Author - Marie Stroughter

Lately my son finds the word "ye" hysterical. He even combines it with Spanish and says things like "Ye el train" or "ye el toast." The first thirty times were funny. We're probably on three billion and six now, and its appeal waned long ago.

He enjoys making weird noises. He enjoys making up silly words and phrases. He likes to move his body in strange ways. He likes to pretend he's running "cartoon-style" in his place without actually going anywhere. He has named this action "skeedabbering".

You know what? The girls have it right: boys are goofy! And you know what else? They need time just to be goofy.

Often I catch myself ready to say something to quiet my son down. I�m tired, or trying to work, or whatever it is, and the noises and goofiness are distracting me. But then I remind myself that he is only seven and needs the "goofy" outlet. It's a developmental phase, and oddly, one I will probably miss once it is gone (just like the "I love touching your cheek" phase that lasted several months when he was 4).

How do you keep your sanity during the "goofy" phase:

* Remember boys need a healthy outlet for all that energy.
* Give them opportunities to exercise and be outdoors.
* Concentrate all that goofiness into a couple of hours and have a few of his goofiest boy buds over.
* If you can�t beat �em�.yes, make time to be goofy too. It will create bonding opportunities and create a lifetime of memories.
* Remember this is a phase and it, too, shall pass.
* Remember that you were a child and made your parents grey early with your goofiness (this thought alone has saved our son many a lecture!)
* Set boundaries: If you have the periods of concentrated goofiness (as described above (solo or with friends), ask that you have some periods of uninterrupted concentration. This teaches your son compromise and consideration of others.
* Be honest: If there are times you are just too overwhelmed, busy, distracted, tell your son why you need a few minutes to re-group. Make sure to "lift the moratorium" and allow a little goofiness once you are composed.
* In our house, during periods of "extreme goofiness" we tell him to close his bedroom door and be goofy to his heart's content, and then he can come and hang out with us.

These tips should help you deal with the "inner goof" residing in your home. The time really does pass quickly. Grown up men often spend hours a day in suits and few opportunities to be goofy. Perhaps that's why we see them collecting baseball cards and (not dolls!) action figures later in life. It all serves a purpose, so relish the moment!