It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks from school, sometimes she’s with her mom. Because of this, we are always working to make our time with Adreena most meaningful, although that is not always as easy as it sounds.  Juggling time off, financial cost and the overall stress of #adulting 😅 can be a lot to take on for a solid week. In today’s post, we will work on a way to make more meaningful memories that last a lifetime.

Be Present

With the constant stress of everyday life taking the time to really focus on moments with your kids can be hard. Life doesn’t just stop because school does, right?! Scheduling time for you to put those stresses aside is important. For me it’s a time of day, I earmark a section of time just for games, chit-chat or random beauty treatments. Working this into my schedule keeps my stress low because I am not neglecting something else. If you are not able to take the whole week off think about taking off several afternoons so you can make the most of your time at home; with afternoon field trips or lunch dates. Adreena always preferred this schedule so she could still sleep in – her favorite part of the break😆.  Another fun thing we like to do is go to late night movies! Such a treat for her, since we rarely go out on a weeknight, much less stay up until midnight. Choosing a movie and heading out after her dad is already in bed is always an adventure – throw in her favorite candy and it is a slam dunk! 

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

In addition to the everyday stress sometimes there is the added stress of creating the “perfect” memory. This unrealistic expectation has got in my way more than a time or two. Many a time I have taken the time to perfect the scene; chosen her favorite restaurant, played her favorite music, gave her the perfect outfit, and something has gone awry. So often the change in plans has ruined my mood, distracted my mind or caused me to overreact. All of these reactions have proven to detract from the overall experience. As of late, I have made an effort to roll with the punches and be open to what experience the universe has for us.  Not panicking over the details really helps me stay present in the moment and soak up every detail.

I truly believe it is all to do with thinking about the moment you are in as opposed to planning the next.

Be Open to What They Choose

It all comes back to this; being open to participating in what they enjoy. I understand this doesn’t always have the most curb appeal, but trust me – showing interest in what they like is the quickest way to a meaningful moment. Most often our children’s days are filled chasing us from one errand to another, which is necessary – but not the most fun. Making the moment about them in its entirety really speaks volumes. It could be video games, basketball, taking the dog for a walk or endless hours of The Vampire Diaries,🤣 setting this time aside makes a lasting impression.

Learn To Play

Spring Break with kids is all about FUN! Anything and everything fun – to keep things light and enjoyable you have to learn to just play. Whether it’s playing a board game, Marco Polo in the pool or Race You To The Car at your local grocery. Playing and laughing as a family is important. Some of my most cherished memories are when the three of us laughed to tears sitting at the kitchen table for some silly reason.

Our game of choice is always dominoes. We started playing Mexican Train way back when and then eventually switched to real Dominoes once Adreena was able to handle the math. Can’t beat a game that doubles as math practice! 😉 Nowadays we play dominoes every night during dinner. It brings us all to the table and keeps us there long after we are done eating. 

These days we also travel with our dominoes, playing cards and on occasion UNO. You just never know when you’ll need them!

This weekend we are headed out of town with family, I plan to introduce Spoons. 😈 When’s the last time you played? ha ha ha I’m so excited to see how much fun we will have!

Comment below your favorite Spring Break Moment! I’d love to hear about them.

Until next week, enjoy your kiddos!

xo,

Carolyn

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