“Summertiiiiiiime….and the livin’s easy….”

Anyone else love that Sublime song (Doin Time)?

Such a good one, and while we’d all love to think that summertime is always easy breezy, we all know that it can actually often be really tough on parents, especially when we have multiple wee little ones running around and ZERO time for ourselves.

The struggle is real!

So this week, I’m kicking off a 5 week series with some simple tips we can all use to stay sane this summer & actually enjoy these beautiful warm months with our munchkins.

If you didn’t see it yet, be sure to watch this 4 minute clip from the KTLA News in Los Angeles where I gave the 5 tips I’ll be expanding on over the next 5 weeks. Click HERE to watch!

The first Summer Sanity Saving Tip we’re talking about this week is:

Maximizing Outdoor Time in Nature

Now any outdoor time is GREAT, but specifically I’m talking about getting our kids deep into nature. Man made parks & amusement parks can be really fun, but there is just NOTHING that soothes a child’s (and parent’s) soul like true nature.

Places like:

• Trails
• Open fields
• Rivers
• Beaches
• Forests
• Climbing Trees
• Creeks
• The Dessert
• Streams
• Dirt paths along the bay or harbor
• Oceans
• Lakes

These are the kind of places I want you to try to build MAXIMUM time at this summer.

When given the choice to meet up with friends, choose one of these places (over the local swing set) and let your kids run wild.

Allow them to be barefoot in the grass, to dig holes in the dirt & sand with their hands, to catch lizards & tadpoles, and to get their jeans dirty. When our kids (and us) are under the blue sky with the warm breeze & birds singing in the background, everyone’s nerves chill out & misbehavior lessons.

Now of course, sometimes it’s too hot to be outdoors, so be intentional when you plan your days (or arrange activities for your babysitter).

Have your kids go out early in the morning, then come home to rest mid-day, then head out again in the late afternoon.

When kids are in wide open spaces, take the opportunity to let them throw rocks at trees, or toss sticks in the stream, or run as fast as they can in an open field. Let them know that THIS is an appropriate place to do that (not inside the living room at 9pm!).

Getting our kids out in nature tons, also helps us to minimize the interactive screen time which REALLY helps minimize misbehavior (be sure to read the book “Reset Your Child’s Brain” by MD Victoria Dunckley if you haven’t yet….it’s really eye opening about how much interactive screens like i-phone & i-pad games increase misbehavior in some kids).

After you intentionally get your kids out into nature a lot, I think you’ll visibly notice how much more settled their souls are & also how much less they misbehave.