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5 Tips For a Whine-Free Summer Break

It’s almost the end of the school year — Which is equally exciting and terrifying! If you have a kiddo under 6, you know it’s a bit more difficult lining up Summer camp classes and sometimes Summer break can turn into meltdown city. Even older kids start to whine about being bored or have a few mood swings. Avoid blowups this Summer with extra preparation via these 5 tips for keeping whining at bay (and possibly saving your sanity just a bit).

Huge thanks to Olly Vitamins for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.

5 tips for a whine-free summer break

Sign up For Summer Activities

Going from a routine of activities to almost nothing is a huge shift for kiddos, so signing your child up for activities is a must. If your kiddo can go to Summer camp do it, even if just for half day every few days! Too young for camp? Sign your little sweetheart up for painting, Summer soccer club, or any age-appropriate activities you can find nearby so that they have at least one activity 5 days a week. You don’t want to overload your kiddo, so about one outside/away from home activity a day is good unless they’re used to more, and you’ll both want a day or two where you aren’t obligated to be in town for activities so you can go travel during school break.

ballet class2

Start Healthy Summer Habits

With the rush of getting the munchkin out the door to preschool, and then yourself home to work on things or to the office to work on things, eating right is often exchanged for eating quickly. What happens when kiddos don’t get a balanced meal for all the nutrition they need? They get cranky! Savannah doesn’t always get every single nutrient she needs from her food, so I’m always sure to give her vitamins every day and take them myself so that we’re both a little more in balance with what our bodies need.

kiddo holding olly vitamins2

I started taking Olly Women’s Multi-Vitamin because I love gummy vitamins (thank you pregnancy), and really like that they also have kids vitamins, too, so we can be taking “the same vitamins.” My daughter loves sharing activities with me and doing what I’m doing, so it’s nice that we can have this healthy habit together. We also just got the new Olly Boost Vitamins, which can be mixed and matched with the daily Olly Kids Vitamins for an extra boost in areas your kiddo may need. I know I shouldn’t, but they taste so good I can’t help but eating them too so I can tell you these are tasty and made with less sugar and carbs than I’ve seen in any other gummy. Savannah says they taste like marshmallows (her fave treat). I won’t give my daughter vitamins with artificial colors and flavors either (kinda defeats the purpose of a healthy item, right?) so there are none of that in these! Our faves right now are the Olly Kids Growing Bones Vitamins (Wild Watermelon taste) and Olly Kids Mighty Immunity (Cherry Berry taste) because so many kids are getting sick in her class right now and I don’t really want her to get sick just in time for Summer break. We’re also enjoying Olly Kids Happy Tummy and Olly Kids Super Brainy with Omega to boost her awesome growing brain. (Keep reading for a great Olly giveaway below, too!) Another healthy habit? Getting enough sleep each night! Be sure your kids are resting well (and you too).

line up of Olly Vitamins boosts2

Spend Summertime Outside Together

Not only do kids love being outside, but they love spending time with you (sans the phone). Dedicated electronics-free time outside is extremely important to kids and is actually beneficial to the adult mind, too. There’s nothing like a bit of fresh air to re-center from whatever bad emotions you or your child are feeling than an outdoor adventure. Too much time indoors can definitely lead to a crabby kid. Something as simple as going to the park, for a walk around the block, collecting flowers, hiking, or even doing a little art time outside is perfect. I like to be efficient so I use our walking time as a chance to check the mail, or art time for when I’d like a new artwork to hang up, or I’m working on a project that could use my kiddo’s help. Nothing beats a visit to the park for Savannah, though.

playing at the park2

Be Social With Good Friends

Summertime allows parents and kids to do something they normally don’t always get a chance to — Connect with friends! Not all adults are social people, but children need social interaction and crave time with other kids their age (they need alone time too, but this is a big part of development). Going to that park and registered activities totally helps with this, but it’s still good to meet with your friends and theirs to foster long-term relationships and teach children about what that means. Spending time with a few of the same friends every so often also gives kids a sort of consistency that they need. Too much change can be scary specifically because then it feels like there’s nothing to hold onto that’s safe — Meeting the same friends and being in similar environments is a big deal (especially if your kiddo is like mine or about to change grades or schools after Summer).

curious chef cutting2

Teach Your Child Something New This Summer

Kids do love consistency, but they are also always craving new information, so teach your child a skillset that you know and watch them shine with pride. Kiddos get bored if they’re not involved, after all, so include your child in an activity and help them learn as best they can. Savannah has been very interested in helping in the kitchen for some time so I started her with helping me move items from one bowl to the next or pouring spices, and just recently graduated her to cutting ingredients using her very own safe kids cutting knife and cutting board. She really likes making dinner with me and is more willing to eat it because she helped prepare it!

Smiling about vitamins2

Do you have tips for reducing the whine factor during school breaks? Share them in the comments below! Also, Check out the awesome giveaway Olly Vitamins is hosting with a $100 Starbucks gift card, $500 Target gift card, a Tea Collection outfit, and Olly Vitamins prize pack, HERE (or click the image below)!

fave few Olly Vitamins boosts2

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