There are several kid-friendly strategies for going on family outings. The first is to always pack snacks, lunches and drinks and tell your kids that there is no buying burgers and fries while we are out. Getting your kids involved in packing the lunch is great. I told the kids what the options were for lunch fixin's today and they chose their own special feast. My son (the meat eater) of course chose a salami and cheese sandwich. My daughter, who only likes meat if it is tenderloin, chose a strawberry jam sandwich. We also packed homemade banana muffins, grapes, and water to drink. Packing our lunch and snacks saved us about 20 - 30 dollars today!
What about treats? Kids just love that phrase, "Mom, can we have a treat?" Before we left the house today I told them that we were not buying lunch, but they could have an ice cream treat while at the park. I knew they would choose those "mini melts" (little ice cream pebbles coated in a ton of sugar...go figure!). Why would a Dietitian let her kids have such a thing? First off, an occasional treat is not a bad thing. The kids ate well at lunch and there was nothing wrong with something sweet on a summer's day.
Second, this is another family outing strategy... always have an exit plan. When my kids were too young to reason with, leaving a venue, whether it was the zoo or a friends house, could end up with a tantrum. It did not take us long to realize that our lives would be easier if we simply distracted the children with a bag of cheezies or a small ice cream cone.
The exit strategy today was the sugary "mini melts". They may not have been the healthiest choice, however that stuff effectively got all the kids from the far side of the park to the car without them really noticing the rain or the rides they missed. We'll save those rides for another day.
On these adventures, I have learned to never EVER leave my house without at least a bottle of water. Even for a 15 minute ride to the store, after 5 minutes of driving, I hear from the back seat "Mommmm.....I'm thirsty. Can I have a drink please?". By having that water, you don't have the whining, and you also avoid the whole "can't we just buy a drink?" discussion as well. Trust me when I say it is easier to just take a few extra minutes to fill a bottle with fresh water.
I am not saying to have treats for everything, but when you are not at home, and you have kids, bringing a bit of home with you is important. If it helps keep everyone calm and happy, why the heck not?
I totally agree. I always did the same with my 3 kids who are now young adults and they say they never felt ripped off. In fact, they say it made them appreciate the treats even more. When they got to be young teens and wanted to go to the midway on their own, I packed a supper of sandwiches, veggies, fresh fruit, juice and usually some chocolate in a cooler in the car. We would leave the midway for 1 - 1.5 hours for a picnic. It was a great way to refresh, catch up with what they had done, keep track of them, and give them a much more nutritious supper. This kept them going until we met again at the fireworks. It became an expected tradition that we followed for many years.
ReplyDeleteP.S. On a recent roadtrip with my 3 kids, we were only on the road for 1/2 hour when the only water bottle (mine) was empty and I had not had a drop. Should have reminded them all to bring their own, or more likely, should have brought one for each of them. Being a mom never stops........and I am glad!