How a Yes No Button Can Boost Your Family Fun Time

You know those Saturday mornings? The ones where everyone's finally home, no urgent activities on the calendar, a whole day stretching ahead with possibilities... and somehow that makes it worse instead of better?

Yeah. Those Saturdays.

The ones where you end up spending 45 minutes with everyone throwing out ideas—"How about the zoo?" "Nah, too crowded." "Movie?" "We just did that last weekend." "Park?" "It might rain later..."—until someone inevitably gives up and retreats to their devices, and the day sort of... dissolves before it even begins.

In our house, we called it the Weekend Decision Vortex. And it was ruining our family time.

​The Saturday Morning Standoff

Last summer was particularly bad. With three kids ranging from 7 to 14, finding activities everyone agrees on has always been... challenging. But it had reached a point where we were spending more time debating what to do than actually doing anything.

One particularly memorable morning, my husband and I watched as our children engaged in a 30-minute parliamentary-style debate over whether to go to the pool or the trampoline park. Points were raised. Counterpoints were argued. Alliances formed and dissolved. It was like watching a tiny Model UN, except the topic was "Fun Places to Jump."

By the time they reached a fragile consensus on the trampoline park, it was almost lunchtime, everyone was cranky, and my husband and I were exhausted before the day had properly begun

"There has to be a better way," I muttered, scrolling through my phone while the kids got ready.
And that's when I stumbled across something that, no exaggeration, changed our family dynamics: a simple yes no button.

​Wait, What's a Yes No Button?

If you've never heard of a Yes or No Button before, it's exactly what it sounds like—a digital tool that gives you random "yes" or "no" answers when you ask it questions. Type your question, press the button, and boom: decision made.

I'll be honest, I was skeptical at first. Could something this simple really solve our family's decision paralysis? But at that point, I was willing to try just about anything.

So the next weekend, when the familiar arguments started brewing, I called everyone to the kitchen table.

"New family rule," I announced with more confidence than I felt. "When we can't decide between two good options in five minutes, this button decides for us."

I pulled up the Yes or No generator on my tablet and placed it in the center of the table like I was introducing a new family member.

The kids were... confused. My husband looked skeptical. I couldn't blame them—it did sound kind of ridiculous.

"How about we test it?" I suggested. "Should we have pancakes or waffles for breakfast?"
I typed the question, pressed the button, and a cheerful "YES" popped up on the screen, complete with a voice saying it out loud.

"That doesn't answer the question," my 14-year-old pointed out. "It's either pancakes or waffles."
Fair point.

"Let's try again," I said. "Should we have pancakes for breakfast?"
This time when I pressed the button, we got a "NO."
​
"Waffles it is!" I declared, and somehow—magically—no one argued. We had waffles. They were delicious. And we saved at least 10 minutes of breakfast negotiations.
Maybe I was onto something.

​The Family Fun Test Run

Later that day, we were facing the usual weekend activity dilemma. The options had been narrowed down to either the science museum or the hiking trail with the waterfall view. Both were good choices. Both had supporters and detractors. The debate was heating up.

"Button time," I announced.

My middle child rolled her eyes, but they all gathered around as I typed: "Should we go to the science museum today?"

I pressed the button. We all held our breath a little.

"NO," said the button decisively.

"Waterfall hike it is!" I declared.

Here's where it got interesting. My science museum advocates—who had been arguing passionately just moments before—simply shrugged and went to get their hiking shoes. No complaints. No negotiations. The button had spoken.
​
We had one of our best family days in months. The hike was gorgeous, everyone had fun, and best of all—we spent our energy actually doing something together instead of burning it all on deciding what to do.

​Why It Works (No, Really!)

Over the next few weeks, the yes no button became an integral part of our family decision-making. And I started noticing some fascinating things:

​1. It removes the power struggle

When the random button makes the decision, no one "wins" and no one "loses" the argument. It's not Mom's preference or Dad's choice or big sister getting her way again. It's just... the button. Weirdly neutral territory.

​2. It teaches flexibility

Kids (and let's be honest, adults too) are learning an important life skill: sometimes Plan B turns out to be awesome. Being open to different experiences is actually fun!

​3. It speeds everything up

We now have a five-minute discussion rule. Everyone gets to make their case briefly, and if consensus isn't reached, the button decides. This has literally saved us hours every weekend.

​4. It shows us what matters

Sometimes when the button chooses something, you see a flash of real disappointment cross someone's face. That's valuable information! We have a special veto rule—if someone is genuinely upset by the button's choice (not just mild preference, but real disappointment), we can discuss whether to override it. But interestingly, this rarely happens.

​5. It's become a family joke

There's something genuinely funny about letting a digital Yes or No Button make decisions for your family. It's absurd in the best way, and the shared humor has actually brought us closer.

​Ground Rules For Button Success

If you're thinking about introducing this to your own family (and honestly, I think every household with kids should consider it), here are some guidelines we've established:

• Only use it for true win-win decisions. The button works when both options are genuinely good. It's not for deciding whether your kid has to do homework!
• Be consistent. If you use the button, you have to respect its decision. The moment you start overriding it regularly, the magic disappears.
• Everyone gets veto power, but use it wisely. We each get one "button override" per month for when we really, really care about something.
• Keep it light. The whole point is to reduce family tension, not create a new system of rules to argue about. Laugh about it. Be silly with it.
• Use it as a teaching tool. We've had some really great conversations with our kids about decision-making, compromise, and how to tell the difference between preferences and actual needs.

Beyond Activities: Other Family Button Uses

Once we saw how well the button worked for weekend activities, we started using the Yes or No generator for other family decisions:

• Menu planning: Should we try that new recipe this week?
• Movie nights: When we're stuck between two good options
• Chore distribution: Making it random removes the "you always give me the worst chores!" argument
• Holiday traditions: Should we start a new one this year?
• Small purchases: Within budget, of course, but the button helps with those "I can't decide" moments

​The Unexpected Benefits

The biggest surprise wasn't that the button helped us make decisions faster—it was how it changed our family culture. There's less bickering overall. The kids have started using it among themselves when they're stuck on a decision. My husband and I have even used it for date night planning!
But the most meaningful change? We're spending more time doing things together and less time in decision paralysis. More hiking, more game nights, more trying new restaurants—and fewer standoffs in the living room with everyone frustrated.
The yes no button has become our quirky family tradition, our inside joke, and honestly, a bit of a relationship saver.

​Is It Right For Your Family?

Look, I'm not saying a random decision generator will solve all your family conflicts. If you're dealing with serious issues, you probably need more than a digital yes/no button.
But for those everyday logjams that plague family life—the ones that aren't really about important values but just about too many good options and too many opinions—it might be exactly the circuit-breaker you need.
Plus, there's something oddly freeing about occasionally surrendering control to randomness, especially for us parents who carry the mental load of decision-making all day every day.
Sometimes the best parenting hack isn't a complicated system or an expensive solution. Sometimes it's just a simple tool that makes everyone laugh while magically getting you out the door to your next adventure.
And if you're wondering whether you should try it with your family? Well... maybe you should ask the button!

Has your family found unique ways to make decisions together? Or have you tried something similar to the button approach? I'd love to hear what works in your household!