SUMMER SURVIVAL

A: Structure is a really important part of making summers enjoyable for kids and moms. One thing I encourage moms to do first is to discover their core values. If you're unsure what your core values are, you can use my free values guide to find out.

Once you know what you value, you can begin to add structure that makes sense for you. Here are some great things I've learned from the experts:

Jamie Cook from Wander and Scout gives 3 fantastic ways to stay sane this summer, and they all revolve around structure. She encourages us to: 1) Get up and get dressed first thing in the morning (moms and kids!), 2) Troubleshoot before summer starts (or troubleshoot now if you're mid-summer!), and 3) Figure out a loose rhythm that works for you. Come learn more from Jamie!

Felica Allen gives helpful tips for developing peaceful routines with kids. I love the focus on the word peaceful because summer often feels so hectic and chaotic. Come learn from Felica how to implement more peace into your structure.

Sometimes it's our homes that need the structure reboot! Jen Martin has 3 ingenious ideas to help organize our spaces to create more summer fun. She focuses on car organization, garage organization, and systems for your kids' own spaces. You'll love what Jen has to offer!

A. Yes! I've interviewed some awesome experts that share the best tips, tricks, and hacks for family travel. Summer is definitely a time for more traveling, so it's a great time to learn some ways to make those potentially stressful trips a little easier.

I love Meesha Slade's practical tips for traveling. I also love that she bases her tips on three of the principles I teach in my Self-Assured Motherhood course (wink, wink 😉). Meesha encourages us to plan our trips with the purpose in mind, set healthy boundaries (especially with money!), and keep things simple. Dive into Meesha's ideas to help make your next trip a little less hectic.

If you're headed out on a road trip, learn hacks from Brittney Hanks. With a little bit of preparation ahead of time, you can cut down on the headaches that inevitably come with road trips. She wisely teaches us to: 1) Be prepared with fuss-free foods, 2) Plan ahead for entertainment, and 3) Countdown the time and distance with visual reminders and fun pit stops. Learn more about each of these takeaways - you'll be so glad you did!

A: Screens are an ever-present part of life now, and it's hard to strike the right balance when all the kids are home and it's hot outside! Here are some tips from experts on what the research says about screen time and some ideas for ways to get your kids off the screens.

I love learning from experts like Dr. Katie Davis! In this episode, she gets real and helps us understand what the research tells us about kids and screen time. I love her takeaways as I try to decide how much and what screen time to have in our home. Check out Dr. Davis' expertise!

Reading expert, Janssen Bradshaw, gives awesome tips for how make reading fun this summer with your kids. I love her tips because if I can get my kids into books more, then that's less time that they're begging for screens! I also love Janssen's positive approach - it makes it feel doable! Head to the link to learn from Janssen!

Get some ideas from pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom to get your kids outside! Angela's takeaways include finding materials that can be used to encourage creativity like sticks, sheets, boards, and buckets. Also, try inviting children over for the day rather than a few hours. This gives them space to get really creative. Make sure to also purposefully stage your outdoor space to encourage play with sports equipment, building supplies, etc. I love when my kids head outside!

Lastly, come learn from my son Noah about ways to encourage creativity in kids. Noah is a creator! He spends hours every day building and creating. I'm obsessed with his brain and his creativity, so I asked him to share 3 ways moms can help encourage creativity. You will love what he has to say!

A. The constant togetherness of summer can certainly create more contention around the house. I know I see a significant uptick in sibling rivalry at my house! Here are some things I've learned to help with that!

Dr. Laura Markham is one of the world's most renowned experts on sibling rivalry, and I feel so lucky to share her wisdom with you! She gives 3 research-backed takeaways that help reduce the rivalry among our kids. (Spoiler alert: They mostly include accepting what we can and can't control!) Dive in to learn from her expertise! It's helped me so much.

Dr. Laura Markham came on for another episode to talk about what to do when your kids are fighting. I'm so grateful for her practical tips that help me from getting swept up in the drama of whatever the current fight is about. Her tips are game changers! You'll love what she has to share!

Cheryl Cardall has taught me so much about how to stay calm when my kids are freaking out. Cheryl is a mom of very strong-willed kids who struggle with dysregulation. I love the tips she shares on this episode about how to stay calm when your kids are not. 

A: I hear you, and you're not alone! Being a mom is really hard, and summertime can exacerbate everything. I used to feel so burned out. I thought I'd never find joy in motherhood again. I promise it's possible to get through this burnout!

Here are some ideas to help:

Aileen Kelly and Felicia Kashevaroff of Tend Task share 3 meaningful takeaways to help you lighten your mental load as a mom. Their tips are a HUGE way to help you through the burnout. Come learn from them and find a little more ease.

In this episode, I share 3 ways that help me recover from Mom Burnout. When I'm feeling completely overwhelmed and DONE, I calm my body, calm my spirit, and then calm my brain. The more you practice these simple (but not easy!) steps, the better you'll get at accessing your inner peace. You will be blown away at how much it helps with burnout!  Click on the link to learn more about this!

In this episode, I share with you 3 tips for how to help motherhood not feel so hard. It starts with using your five senses to absorb the good moments. Sometimes these are hard to find! But pay attention through the day, and when something cute happens, stop and notice the moment with all five senses. Then, write down that perfect moment (my Flecks of Gold journal is a great way to do this!). Lastly, share those moments with the people you love. These three steps have helped me SO much in finding joy!

You really can move through the overwhelmed mom burnout and thrive this summer! I'm rooting for you!