Summer is here and it just seems like sugar is in the air.
My kid wakes up and it’s as if she’s already had her dose of sugary-honey-crunch-puffs-with-marshmallows, and chocolate milk with it.
Sure, I let her sleep in and enjoy my coffee hot; but if sleeping in means she wakes up like a hyena on rock candy … whoa there, slow down! I’m a mellow morning mama. I need to ease into the day. (Wish I could ease into my skinny jeans too, but that’s a whole different story.)
So, I devised some little tips for moments when you need to keep your mellow mama and not go into mad-mama mode.
1. Keep the awesome-ness of summer quiet. Don’t tell your kid the night before that there is going to be anything fun the next day. I’m not saying you should tell her she’s going to have a horrible day; just don’t let her know that it’s summer and summer is amazing because there is no school or homework and the pool is open and there are free movies and bowling and the weather is perfect to go on a bike ride to the playground! Play mellow mama. When they ask you what is planned for the next day, vagueness is the key: “Oh, sweetie, I really have to organize the spice cabinet and dust the chandelier.”
They may even sleep in longer if they are expecting a fun-filled day of alphabetizing spices.
2. Plan on time consuming craft projects. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you get a break from having to balance budgets and clean toilets. Go ahead and get that jumbo box-o-crafts with a ga-zilllion pieces. Set up a craft table in an undisclosed location and “surprise” kids with a craft-o-rama.
That’ll buy you enough “time” to get that toilet sparkly. (AKA catch up on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
(Nobody will know you just poured some bleach in and gave it a swish.)
3. Make outings work for you, not against you. Make adventures out of daily exercise: Your morning walk can be a bird/bug/tree identification stroll for your child. A trip to the gym can be an muscular system lesson. “Honey, see if you can guess what muscle group each person is working on at the gym.”
(That will make for some entertaining dinner table talk I’m sure…)
4. Try to still pack a lunch, even though it’s summer. Bagged lunches come in handy. Trust me. You’re not going to want to stop “cleaning the toilet” to make a PB&J. Keep a few emergency bagged lunches for “special occasions.”
5. Stock up on those old school outdoor toys. Unplugged and un-powered toys: Hula hoops, bouncing balls, bubbles and chalk. They are still fun even when your kid claims they are lame. If you put it in front of them, they will pick it up. You can “clean the toilet” while the investigate the “antique toys.”
And finally….
6. The best mom break. Sometimes, the best break from being a mom is to be a kid with your child. Play school, hide-and-seek, tic-tac-toe, and go on an adventure to see the world through their young eyes. Tell them what it was like when you grew up, and share things that were fun for you to do “in your day.” Escaping from the pressure of adulthood with refresh you and make you the coolest mom ever.
Photo credit: KidStock/Getty Images
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
