The first day of summer is quite a shock to my system. Three kids, with their six big brown eyes (ten eyes if you count our dogs) all staring at me, wondering what we’re going to do each and every day of the summer. Without a plan, our loooong summer days would be a disaster. I’ve been home with my kids for several summers and, over time, I’ve created a few rules to help myself and other parents conquer summertime.
Also this summer, I’ll once again be participating in the #CheeriosChallenge. If you’re unfamiliar with the #CheeriosChallenge, it was the Cheerios™ stacking contest that took over the internet last summer, even getting President Obama to participate, and it is back.
Surprisingly, the same rules apply to both taking care of your kids in the summer months, and stacking Cheerios™. So what are these wonderful rules that are going to make summer a breeze and you a “stack-master”?
Let’s take a look…
# 1. Make a plan. Looking at an open summer schedule, home with three kids can be a daunting task. Every successful summer needs a carefully constructed family calendar. Sign up kids for classes, schedule trips to the grandparents, plan ahead for local summer festivals, and put IT ALL ON THE CALENDAR! Just don’t overbook you summer. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you are marching your kids from one thing to the next, while no one is enjoying any of it.
It is also important to have a plan when stacking Cheerios™. Although Cheerios™ may all look the same size and shape, if you look closely enough, you’ll find some are larger and flatter than others. Those are your winning Cheerios™. The rest you can eat while you stack the flat ones.
#2 Pace Yourself. A summer schedule with kids should take place at a nice slow pace. It’s not going to do you much good to get a week’s worth of errands done on Monday. That leaves the rest of the week without any jobs to do. And why are you in a hurry to get to the grocery store? Ride bikes to the store if you can. Not only will it take an extra hour or so, it will burn off some of that endless childhood energy.
Take your time with the #CheeriosChallenge too. Rushing through the process won’t get you anything but a pile of knocked down Cheerios™.
#3 Have fun. Whether you’re hanging out by the pool, making dinner, stacking Cheerios™, or doing all of them at once, have a great summer!
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Life of Dad and Cheerios. I received compensation for this post; however, all opinions stated are my own.
