Three Improv Rules to Make You a Better Parent
A practical guide to embracing the chaos
Improv is the new black. Companies across the globe are turning to places like Second City, iO, the Groudlings and even humble little UnScripted Productions* to come in and reignite their workplace. The once-best-kept-secret of teambuilding is now an entire industry. The fruits of improv are NOT limited to businesses and corporations, though. The very same foundation that made comic superstars of Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Wayne Brady, etc. can help make you an (even more) amazing parent.
The golden rule
Bump into anyone on the street from Philadelphia to DesMoines and if they’ve ever taken an improv class they’ll tell you: the number one rule of improv is “yes, and.” These two little words are a game changer. Novice improvisers (and even novice improv teachers) will misconstrue this rule to mean that you literally have to say “yes” to everything. Good luck with that. The phrase “yes, and” is less about saying the word yes and more about acceptance and contribution. The main idea behind this golden rule is that if we start from a place of acceptance and are willing to participate in and contribute to the process of making something better, the possibilities are endless. So, you can start practicing this concept by saying the actual words…
