leaving the house with young children: 5 ways to help it go smoothly and avoid meltdowns

One of the biggest comments I get when I leave the house with my toddler and the twins is, "I can't believe you're out and about with all three kids and no helpers!" First of all, it's so nice of people to focus on the fact that I came and graciously ignore the fact that I'm a hot mess or my babies are only wearing onesies or I definitely did not do my toddler's hair that morning.

Because here's the thing. For my sanity, I need to leave the house daily. I just do. Motherhood can be very isolating, and working from home can be very isolating, so I make a conscious effort to get out every day. I think it's good for the whole family when we get out, expand our world, talk to new people, have a change of scenery, and experience things besides our daily at-home grind of diapers and begging mom for more screen time.

Plus, at this stage of life when my children are so little, we don't have school, sports or other activities that facilitate a get-outside routine, so it's up to me to provide that structure.

But the reality is that leaving the house is often the hardest part of the day. Between packing diaper bags, changing diapers, hunting down shoes, buckling carseats, and then trying to keep everyone happy when you're out, it can feel much easier to just stay home.

Here are some things I've been doing over the past nine months (since the twins were born) that make leaving the house easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

1. SET BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

This is probably the biggest thing I learned as a teacher that translates to being a mom. No matter where we're going, I set behavior expectations with my toddler. Simply put, we have a conversation about what will happen and how she's expected to behave. Even if we're just going to the grocery store, I tell her we're not buying any special snacks, and she can choose to sit in the front or the back of the cart, but she's not going to push the cart today.

When I forget to do this, there is a 100% chance of a meltdown when my daughter wants to push the cart "all by self" and inevitably straight into the flower display. Every. Single. Time. A twenty-second positive and clear chat about behavior expectations goes such a long way in avoiding meltdowns.

2. GET INTO A DAILY SCHEDULE

We have a rough schedule, and stick to it every day, and it's helped our sanity so much. That means last month when there was a blogger opportunity at 10 am just down the street from me, I said no, but it was easy to say no because I knew it was right in the middle of naptime and trying to wrangle two fussy twins who should be sleeping is not on my happy list. But when they went to lunch afterwards at 11:30, it was easy to say yes, because everyone is up and happy at 11:30.

Some moms are great at having no schedule, but for me, a schedule has helped us add structure and routine to our day, and also plan good times to leave the house when there's the highest chance all three kids will be happy.

3. ANTICIPATE NEEDS

There's a reason diaper bags are a thing (and hallelujah that diaper bags are actually cute these days). When I anticipate what the kids might need while we're out and pack it in the diaper bag, I can stay out longer because a dirty diaper or a chilly baby can be solved by a quick diaper change or pulling on a jacket. Take the few minutes required to pack an extra bottle, a favorite teething toy, and whatever else you need to keep your kids happy.

When I'm prepared and packed, little hiccups don't turn into big disasters. I can quickly find the pacifier or fish out the burp cloth without derailing the entire trip (and having to listen to a screaming child the entire way home).

4. PRETEND YOU NEED TO GET THERE 10 MINUTES EARLY

Please tell me I'm not the only one constantly surprised at how long it takes to leave the house with more than one child? I honestly tell myself it starts ten minutes early, because then when my toddler has to go potty again when we're getting in the car, or when a twin spits up everywhere and requires a quick outfit change, I can take a few minutes and still be on time (or at least not terribly late).

5. BRING SNACKS

We don't have many snacks at home, but when we're out, snacks are a huge sanity saver. I like to pull one out when my toddler is hungry, fussy for weird reasons like her left shoes itches (not her foot but her actual shoe??), or wants to go home a few minutes before it's time. We stock up on these Gerber® SmartFlow™ pouches and have at least one in the diaper bag at all times (my 10-month twins love these so much).

Gerber recently redesigned their pouches with a SmartFlow cap that prevents dribbles and messes when your kids are feeding themselves (which is a genius move, by the way). It's the best, and makes snacks and meals so much easier and less messy. Click here to see the new SmartFlow logo so you know what to look for. There's even a coupon for your local Kroger or Ahold so you can stock up for a sweet price.

HONORABLE MENTION: LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

This one sounds weird, but honestly when I lower my expectations for going out with three small children, I end up much happier. I give myself a little pep talk about how the twins might be fussy and I'll have to push them around in the stroller instead of chatting with the other moms at playgroup. That way, when they're only fussy for 5 minutes at the very end, I'm feeling really good that they lasted an entire hour instead of feeling frustrated that they're fussy.

Photos by Kylie Pond

What tips and tricks do you have for leaving the house with small children?

I'm constantly trying to figure out ways to make it easier 
and more fun for all parties involved. :)

P.S. Click here for the coupon for those pouches if you don't have it already!

poolside season is here (+ water safety tips for kids)

It's supposed to hit triple digits here in sunny Arizona today, and that can mean only one thing: it's officially swimming season. If you've been reading along for a while, you know how much I love swimming (ahem, see more Arizona swimming pictures here, here, here, and here, for starters). I'm excited to go multiple times a week this summer.

One of the best things about living in Arizona? There are pools everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. We're talking multiple pools on every street, and the housing complexes usually have at least two pools. 

But with so much water exposure comes a heightened responsibility for myself as a mom to make sure my children are safe around the water. I take water safety very seriously, and it's very very important for me that my children are in safe water environments and are prepared for this potentially dangerous season.

That being said, there are some fairly easy and highly effective ways to make sure your children are safe at the pool. May is National Water Safety month, so it's a great time to get ready before you take your kids to the pool. (The ZAC Foundation's cute and informative website was a good place for me to start brushing up on water safety for kids.) Here are 6 ways I make sure my children are safe at the pool.

WEAR LIFE JACKETS

My daughter knows she has to be wearing her life jacket the entire time we're poolside. We put hers on with her swimsuit so she's already wearing it the second we walk in the pool area. I love our life jacket (found here), and I also love that it's US Coast Guard approved.

LOOK FOR FENCED-IN POOLS WITH AUTO-LOCKING GATES

To be honest, the first time I used our pool, I thought the auto-closing and auto-locking gate was annoying because I had to unlock and open it twice just to get all my people and all our stuff into the pool area. But really it was only a ten-second inconvenience, and it's so much safer, especially when you have a backyard pool where a child could wander out by themselves.

LEARN CPR

I get it, parents always have a million things to do, and if you're like me, things like taking a safety class can easily be moved to the bottom of the To Do list. But it's worth the time to take a refresher class or at least brush up online on your CPR skills for kids of all ages.

CHECK FOR A SAFE POOL DRAIN

Dangerous pool drains are flat on top, which increases the risk of hair or a body part being suctioned in the pool with hundreds of pounds of pressure. It's worth the few seconds it takes to check and make sure your backyard pool has a safe drain (safe drains are generally raised and have multiple sides so the entire drain can't be covered at once). This short video taught me all I needed to know about safe pool drains.

ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN SWIMMING LESSONS

My toddler's first swimming lessons will probably be this summer, and I'm excited for her to learn more about water safety and gain more confidence in the pool. Especially important for every child is learning how to float and tread water.

BE POSITIVE ABOUT WATER SAFETY

When we talk about water safety at our house, I try to be really positive. "You get to wear a life jacket to keep you safe" goes a lot farther than, "The pool is a scary place and you could drown if you take off your life jacket." We want our kids to know that the pool is a fun place, and as long as we follow a few safety guidelines, we'll have fun splashing and kicking all summer long.

I loved learning more about the incredible mission of the ZAC Foundation to keep children safe around water in conjunction with this post today. Click over to their cute site for printable graphics, short videos, and lots of information about water safety for children of all ages and in all seasons/ climates. A quick link to their parents page can be found here, and you can sign up for their newsletter here.

The ZAC Foundation is also sponsoring a giveaway (think a fun pool bag filled with books, towels, t-shirts, wristbands, and more). Enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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What are your tips and tricks for keeping your kids safe at the pool?

Favorite life jackets or poolside safety hacks?

And who wants to come over and swim with us? :) 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

when I'm not blogging: current side hustles

One thing that has really surprised me about the blogging world is all the side jobs and opportunities blogging has opened up for me. It's been fun taking on small side projects and helping people with their different ventures. It's also validating, because sometimes when you're a blogger you think all you really do is sit at home typing things on a computer screen all by yourself. But then when somebody requests your services, it's like, "Hey! You're right! I've been working in this industry for years and I, like, actually know stuff about it!"

Here are three fun side projects I've been working on lately.

1. PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

Lately I've had the chance to take pictures for a few people about to open up their own businesses and launch their own products. One of the shoots I won't share yet because she wants to keep it a secret until the big launch day (can't wait!), but here's a sneak peek of the other. The product is these really cool removable handlebars for people who commute on bike.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTATION

This was a fun one. I got to go and give a professional social media consult for two separate businesses about how to have an effective and profitable online presence. Which platforms are most effective for different goals, how to create an interactive user experience, how to use the algorithms to your advantage, etc. It was a lot of fun researching and presenting on current social media strategy from the point of view of their two fields.

3. NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY

I have to admit, this was my very first traditional newborn shoot. AND I LOVED IT. Holy cow. Nobody told me how fun and precious and different from all other types of photography newborn shoots are. I loved it so much I have two more lined up for the coming months.

I mentioned more about these side hustles in my Instagram Story a while ago and got a few messages about what I was doing and how I was making money outside of my regular blog income. So there you have it!

P.S. If you happen to need any of these services, email me (brookie.89 at gmail) or message me on any social platform and we can chat!