You have a day off and feel tired, but the day is beautiful, and you want to make the best out of that. How will you organize your free time with toddlers, be happy, and have a great day?
To achieve that, you need to know what makes you happy, and you should do what makes you happy with a bit of compromise. You can get an idea through one of my days off with a toddler.
Your free morning
Everybody has some routine in the morning. My recent way changed, and I am still going through adaptation. I usually drink coffee and go to the training, or if I don’t have a workout, I write my blog, edit videos, etc.
My new routine excludes coffee and includes Himalaya tea. It is a bit challenging for me, but it’s working somehow. I love coffee, but I need to stop drinking to get my hormones more balanced.
With warm tea that smells delicious, planning comes easy. I took a sip and thought about how I felt and what I wanted to do. Every day for me is different. This is a crucial part of planning.
You have to chose what you want to do but that needs to be interesting for your toddler too.
What I need to do on my day off
Today, my routine started as usual. I woke up at 5 am, made a cup of tea, and started writing about my trip through Europe for my blog. I also edited a few photos I need for Instagram.
Then, I had to go to the lab to give my blood to check my hormones. I realized I was late. I woke up Sophie (my 2.5 years old toddler) and rushed to the lab. That is something I needed to do.
For the rest of the day, I had some ideas about what I needed to do, like cleaning the house, washing a car, and other things, but I did not press myself to do them on my days off. I find this mindset very important to relax and enjoy life. And plus, I wanted to spend quality time off with my cute toddler :).
Do not press yourself to do something on your day off. It is better to push yourself to get up earlier, or to go to bed later, and do things you need to do during the working part of the week.
How I plan my day off with a toddler
It is easy. It was a sunny day, and I felt we should go somewhere. I had a few ideas off the top of my head, but I decided to mix a bit.
First idea WHAT TO DO WITH MY KID:
- Go to the café next to the ocean. I planned tea, breakfast, and a walk. There is a small playground for kids, so I can enjoy free time watching the water and gathering my thoughts.
- The second stop should be the farm zoo. I love animals, and it is an excellent opportunity to offer Sophie to see some other animals besides cats and dogs.
- The third stop was to buy a few things at the grocery.
- No plans after shopping, except cooking dinner
Sometimes she feels tired, and she has a nap in the car. In that case, I manage what to do depends how I feel and where I am.
Plan B WITH A KID:
Sometimes it does not go how you planned. I was checking opening hours on google info. That was wrong. People do not update their opening hours on google, so you have to check the website of the place where you are going, especially after COVID.
My plan B looks like this:
- The café was closed, so we stopped at the takeaway café next to the ocean. That is the cutest takeaway I know. We took an organic juice and warm ginger, lemon, and honey drink—the best glass on a little bit of a windy day.
- The next step took us to the beach. I bought a sandwich and an almond croissant in the same takeaway kiosk. The camper’s spot was 100m away, so my kid and I went there, had lunch, and enjoyed the sun.
We draw on paper, wood, and stones. We played with rocks, read a book, and in the end, we ended up with another family.
Two grandmas with kids made a fire. Some young men from the camp came and gave them munch mellows. Sophie joined them as well as me. And somehow, we were chilling with those guys eating mm next to the fire.
- The next stop was the Farm zoo. It is a small zoo where you can bring your kids to learn more about animals and to have contact with them. You can pay NZ$6 to ride a pony.
They also have a lot of tables to sit at and eat, which is excellent for a light picnic and break. And just at the end of the area, there is a kid’s playground.
- After 2 hours, I thought of going home. I was happy but tired. I thought to stop and buy a few things to cook and go home to rest. The day was fantastic, and I felt it was such good weather that I could wash my car. However, It was challenging to decide since I was pretty tired.
- I decided to make cacao, add a few excellent supplements (very healthy) and wash my car. And an amazing thing happened! I passed the car, I made dinner, and in the end, I cleaned a bit house. How a positive attitude will help you in your everyday life.
- My partner came and help with Sophie. They were making bread, and she lovessss it!
Plan 50% of your free time
My plan through the day changed, but the day, in the end, was fantastic, and I was satisfied. I spent a lot of lovely moments with the little one, enjoyed my time at the same time, and finished some home jobs I wanted.
I still think that 50% of planning helps to have more time for yourself and what you love to do!
I hope this short story and example inspired you to organize your time better and enjoy your life more. If you are alone, with a partner, or have more kids, follow your intuition and plan your life, do not wait for others to help you.
Please let me know if you would like to see more stories and ideas like this. 🙂
PLACES where I went with my kid:
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