This mom’s brilliant idea for a “whatever makes you happy hour” should be the trend of the summer—for both kids and adults
If you have kids, you’re probably already familiar with what this mom calls “the witching hour”—that hour in the late afternoon when kids just turn feral for some reason. They’re tired, you’re tired, no one has any h*cks left to give, and it’s tantrum time, baby. But one mom has come up with the most brilliant way of dealing with the witching hour, and we’re ready for every household in America (if not the world) to adopt this: She’s reframed it as a “whatever makes you happy hour,” and yes, that applies to grownups as well as kids.
In a viral TikTok video, mom Jessie Meeks explains, “Whatever makes you happy hour is the time of the day where my husband and I sit back, relax, and let our kids be wild, free, and chaotic.”
@jessi.meeks The only rule-no tv #momlife #momofthree #parentinghumor #parenting #minivlog #toddlerplay #sensoryplay #toddleractivities
♬ original sound – jessi
Over a video of her kids painting in bins of ice cubes (and, inevitably, all over themselves), she further explained, “Today, we started off with an ice cube painting activity that progressively got messier and messier. However, this is typically the witching hour, so letting our kids be free, wild, and messy also helps alleviate our frustration if we just let it go, and we let them do whatever makes them happy.”
In a follow-up video, Meeks said that during “whatever makes you happy hour,” she and her husband “stop all attempts at parenting” and let their kids do “whatever they want” (as long as it isn’t screens). The result is lots of wrestling, family walks, collecting rocks, playing in yogurt, kids carrying kids, and yes, messes. But the kids have a blast, they burn a lot of energy before bed, and it staves off all those witching hour tantrums.
@jessi.meeks Are we lazy? Yes. Are our kids happy? Also yes #familyof5 #parentinghumor #parenting #parentsoftiktok #momlife
♬ original sound – jessi
In another follow-up video, Meeks answered some viewer questions further clarifying that yes, there are messes, but she and her husband clean up before bedtime. “Whatever makes you happy hour” ends at dinner, when the family comes together and acts civilized once more over a meal together. And while the kids are acting feral, Meeks and her husband also kick back and relax—him with a beer, and her with a White Claw.
@jessi.meeks Replying to @FrogDaddy
♬ Makeba – Jain
If you ask us, there is literally nothing wrong with this strategy. We have no notes, and we want our own “whatever makes you happy hour.” This should be the summer trend of 2023, and it should stick around for a long time.
