101. Spring Break Survival Guide

The last thing you want is to battle whining, overtired kids or the endless “Are we there yeeeeeeeet?” during your vacation.  
 
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m sharing my TOP 3 simple tips to help your trip to be more fun!

By the time you finish listening, you’ll know:

• Two easy games that can make car rides more fun for everyone
•  Simple ways to talk with your kids about what to expect at busy places like theme parks or water parks 
• Gentle tips for keeping bedtime routines familiar, even when you're away from home 

✨ "Would You Rather" Game

✨ SP Curated List of Helpful Items to Purchase

✨Want more?

1) Use this link for a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting.

2) Download the FREE pdf. on getting kids to listen.

3) Buy a 3 session Coaching Bundle (saving you $100) - for THREE 30-min sessions 1:1 with ME, where we get right to the heart of your challenges, and give you small, powerful shifts that make a huge difference fast.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to episode 101 of the Sustainable
Parenting Podcast and, folks, Ihave a cold and I'm going on
spring break with my family, andI thought what better way to
approach today's episode but toshare with you some of my
favorite cheats for a successfulspring break, even if you're
feeling down, even if you'refeeling stressed or sick.
I hope these tips will serveyou today, mamas.

(00:23):
I hope these tips will serveyou today, mamas.
Hello and welcome to theSustainable Parenting Podcast.
Let me tell you, friend, thisplace is different.
We fill that gap between gentleparenting and harsh discipline
that's really missing to parentwith kindness and firmness at
the same time, and give you theexact steps to be able to parent

(00:46):
in ways that are more realisticand effective and, for that
reason, finally feel sustainable.
Welcome.
So let me give you my top threeareas of ideas for a successful
spring break.
So the first is airplanes, orcar rides, and my favorite two

(01:08):
tools are some games that Ithink really help in that area.
And then we'll talk about whatdo we do to have a better time
when we're going to theamusement park or the water park
or whatever you have planned,and then I'll talk about bedtime
.
So, first thing, the game, twogames that I love, and I just
sent these to a mama yesterdaywho's a client of mine and she

(01:30):
wrote.
Well, she wrote me in the midstof panic help, car rides going
awful, kids are going bonkers,what do I do?
And her kids are both underfive and I suggested these two
ideas and she immediately wroteback after a few minutes and
said it's working.
Thank you so much.
So I hope the same can be truefor you, friends.
The first one is a would yourather game, would you rather?

(01:54):
Or table topic questions arethings you can find online.
I'll share one link in the shownotes here that comes from just
a random web page, but you knowit's this really fun way to get
conversation going for kids asyoung as three or four and it
can, you know, engage everyonein the car up to teenagers.

(02:14):
So things like would you ratherhave octopus legs or crab arms
and you're debating and laughing.
Would you rather have to spellout every word you ever say?
Or like have visible farts thateveryone can see when you fart.

(02:35):
Just funny questions.
They have led my family to havelots of great laughter and
connection in airplanes or longcar rides, instead of that like
droning on of are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Second favorite tool for carrides or airplanes is the, what
I call the three clues.
Yes, no game.

(02:56):
So the three clues are I'mthinking of something brown,
furry and big, and then the kidsget to ask yes, no questions
until they've guessed it.
You know it might be direct.
Is it a bear?
I'm like nope.
Is it taller than a person?
Yes, is it?
You know various things.

(03:16):
Maybe it ends up being a moose.
We live in Montana, so that'san animal my kids know.
You might pick other thingsthat your kids would know, but
whoever guesses it then gets tobe the next person offering the
clue three clues of something tobe guessed.
We started this when our kidswere also around four and five,
and it's still something that'sfun and entertaining with them

(03:39):
at nine and 11.
All right.
Second key area for some toolsare what do we do during an
outing to have it be as fun aspossible?
Now, I find that when thebiggest thing that people forget
to do is that they forget toplan for the worst.
This is the mistake I callplanning for the best and hoping

(04:01):
for the best, when in actuality, it tends to go better when you
plan for the worst and hope forthe best.
What does that look like?
That means things like if weare going to a water park, I
want to be able to think throughthe things that could go poorly
and plan for that and have itbe an overt conversation with

(04:21):
the kids.
So then when I'm giving areminder or I'm giving a prompt
that we may be getting close tothat consequence, we agreed in
advance that they know I reallymean it and so that could look
like you know.
Let me be clear.
We're going to this water'spark.
We want to have fun.
If we are fighting over who getsto go first in line, or we are

(04:42):
not including everyone with ourfriends that are going with us,
um, if, if we're not respondingwhen mommy asks you to please
come over to take a break, toget more sunscreen on, you know,
then I will ask you to take abreak from playing on the water
slide for five minutes.
You know, cool off, let's seehow you can be a better listener

(05:02):
and then we'll try again.
Or if it's continuing to not go, well, you know, we are right
here at the hotel.
And or, you know, and dad and Iagreed one of us will just take
you back to the room.
Or, dad, and I agreed one of uscan take a break with you out
in the car, if we're even atDisneyland or something.
Now, these kind of like clearparameters have really helped my

(05:25):
family in so many moments tothen, you know, take it
seriously.
And then I'm not spending allday just saying, hey, please be
a better sharer, hey, pleaselisten to me.
Hey, why are you just likegoing around like crazy,
fighting with each other all day?
Why do I have to keep puttingout fires?
It switches the conversation toremember what we talked about.

(05:46):
And then also, half the battlein these scenarios is having a
plan ourselves.
If we just go in thinking it'sgoing to be awesome, we're at
Disneyland, how could anythinggo wrong?
Then, as these little momentscome up of complaining or
whining or fighting, it wears usdown, it's caught us off guard
and we end up in a place of justold habits, nagging small

(06:10):
reminders, until we explode.
And so don't let yourself getthere, friend, by putting a
little effort in in advance, allright.
And so don't let yourself getthere, friend, by putting a
little effort in in advance, allright.
And third thing, what can we doto help bedtimes?
To help bedtimes, I reallyrecommend that you be um having
as many things in place thathelp your children feel
comfortable like they would athome.

(06:31):
So it's always a priority to me.
Of all the things that we pack,that we do bring still, you know
, blankies or favorite stuffies,um, if there's a noise machine
or a favorite, you know, acouple books that are going to
be familiar and enjoyable, Iwant to preserve that we are
going to have good bedtimes.
And also that's pretty sacredfor us, even on on vacation,

(06:54):
because my kids are supersensitive to sleep.
And if we, you know, go to theDisneyland parade from 10 to 11
o'clock like it is going towreck our whole next day and
some families or kids, that isnot the case, and so go for it,
but just know your child.
If they do not do well withoverstimulation through the day,

(07:14):
let's bring earplugs, let'sknow them.
Or if we're worried they'regoing to wake up with all the
sounds in the hotel room, let'sbring earplugs.
Or let's bring a little eyemask that can help it stay dark
longer if we're camping andwe're wanting to make sure that
they can sleep in past thesunshine streaming through.
I have one friend who used tocover all of her camper windows

(07:37):
with tinfoil as a way to keepthe darkness so that the kids
could sleep a little bit laterin the mornings camping.
So think, be thoughtful aboutsleep and what you can do to
preserve and protect yourchildren getting good sleep on
vacation, and I find that tendsto be worth its weight in gold
for how the days go.
All right, I hope those arethree quick trips that really

(07:59):
serve you well this week and I'mwishing you wonderful spring
breaks.
I'd love to hear about them.
If you want to connect with meon Instagram or Facebook, look
for sustainable parenting, andI'd love to hear about them.
If you want to connect with meon Instagram or Facebook, look
for sustainable parenting, andI'd love to hear from you Also.
Finally, friend, I'd love tohear how this episode is
impacting you, so you can scrolldown to the end of the episodes
on our main page and drop us aline.

(08:21):
Let us know what you think ofthe podcast and we'd love to
hear from you.
And don't forget to subscribeand follow so you can stay with
us on this journey and get moretips that help you parent with
kindness and firmness at thesame time.
So parenting finally feelssustainable.