Traveling with kids will break your spirit. You will wonder why you ever left the house and you’ll undoubtably forget that one thing. Do it anyways. Show your kids you can make it without that one thing. Show them a sunset somewhere else, or take them fishing or to see a random museum. It also doesn’t have to be the Europe or anywhere expensive. Hipcamp is an app that will show you places you can camp all over the country for cheap. Make a fire, tell a story and have a smore, everyone will love it even if your back it sore. Just go somewhere new together and see what they remember and what is actually fun. If it sucks, don’t do it again, do something else but keep going places with your kids with the one intention, to be together.

Try this: Check out HipCamp and plan a one night camp out. You can do anything for one night right? Make a food plan that isn’t overinvolved and put it on your big calendar. Tell your kids to get them excited and make sure your partner is on board. Borrow some gear or just use what you have. I bet if you hate it Amazon will take their tent back. If you love it you can plan a weekend for the fall.

Take away: Find ways to be together in new places. Get your next adventure on the calendar so that everyone can get excited about it!

I realized I was old the other day when I was taken aback by a bird. A bird. Maybe we realize that we are not forever and the natural beauty that is all around us start to register. Either way it was an amazing bird. Things like birds and sun events make you and your kids slow down and watch and listen. Make a bird scavenger hunt or watch a few sunsets in a row on vacation. Learning to pay attention bumps the ROI on life way up.

Cook This: Protein Pancakes

We probably all eat too many pancakes. Don’t get my started on syrup. So if you are going to make them let’s bulk them up in a way that matters to you and your kids. Try the Kodiak mix or the Bob’s Red Mill if you want to have a solid base. Add a smashed banana, a spoonful of peanut butter, and an egg or two. This will give you some more protein and keep your kids full for longer than it takes you to clean up the whole situation.

Have you been googling the best book series for your kids? Example: What the best book series for 2nd graders? Then reserve them at the library through the website. Pick them up for your kids and it is like a present you didn’t pay for. If the hate them, take them back, no harm, no foul. If they love them you just got them into a new series which means at least 2-5 guarnteed reads. Nice one dad.

Try this: Download Libby and get aquainted with your libary’s website. They will save you a ton of money and keep the great reads coming.

What's orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot.

* Anyone under 6 will love this one. Remember you ability to be silly is a superpower.

This newsletter is not professional in nature but intended to be real things to try. They won’t all work but this is a process and I’d love for you to join me on the way. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you next week.

Send me a note or your best dad joke @ [email protected]