19 | Simple Stress-Free Snack Plan to Keep Your Family Emotionally Regulated
Hey friends, and welcome back to Intentional Motherhood, the podcast where we talk about slowing down, showing up, and creating a life with our kids that actually feels enjoyable. I'm your host, Kelsey Redd, former mental health counselor turned stay at home mom of four little ones, and I'm so glad you're here. It is summer break and that means we are all home all the time or go, go, go doing all the fun things, trying to stay cool through the summer heat, staying fueled so that we can have fun while we're out all day long, or dealing with snack requests that are flying in every twelve minutes, trying to fuel the outings and activities that can drain energy. And we have to figure out a way to make this work, right? So if that's how you're feeling right now, you're not alone and this episode is for you.
Kelsey:Today, we're talking about a piece of the parenting puzzle that can get overlooked at times, and that is nutrition. Specifically, how healthy, summer friendly snacks can actually help our kids stay more emotionally regulated and help us as moms keep our sanity. Because let's be real, summer throws off all of our usual rhythms. There's no consistent routine, school lunches that get eaten or not eaten, but at least you know it's happening at a certain schedule. Everyone's hot, overstimulated and hungry all the time.
Kelsey:And if your kids are like mine, they seem to be asking for snacks nonstop. So here's what I've learned through both my counseling work and my motherhood. Well fed kids are easier to enjoy. And I'm not talking about having a Pinterest perfect snack and making everything homemade, But I am talking about fueling our kids' bodies and our bodies in a way that supports our energy and emotions, especially during these high activity and on the go, fast paced summers. So the problem is that when kids are eating mostly junk food, they burn through those calories very quickly and we start to see the crashes.
Kelsey:If we're feeding our kids high processed, high sugar, high in artificial ingredient type snacks, we're going to see some symptoms of that. And if you don't know that this is related to the food that you're giving them, you might just be wondering why are my kids so crazy right now? Why are they struggling so much? We can often see mood swings, tantrums, increased fighting with siblings, and total shutdowns when they're not being fed in a way that supports their ongoing energy and regulation. And of course we can't control every bite that we eat, but we can be intentional about what we offer and how we set the tone for snacks.
Kelsey:When we support our kids holistically, just meaning their whole body, mind, and spirit, they can show up with more resilience, more cooperation, and we can have more joy in parenting. And food is a big part of that. So actually to make this easier for you, I have put together a free download that you can grab today. This is my healthy summer snack list. It's a total freebie that you are welcome to find in the show notes below or on my Instagram creating.
Kelsey:Intentional. Mothers in my link in my bio. You can just go and grab that list for free and it'll be delivered right to your email. But this list is a real life mom tested collection of snacks that are easy to prep and pack, kid friendly, not loaded with sugar or artificial ingredients, and perfect for pool days, car rides, nature outside time, and just, you know, surviving the afternoon energy dip. So of course go find that in the show notes or head over to my Instagram and tap on the link in my bio.
Kelsey:It's totally free and it's made specifically with summer busy moms in mind. Here's your reminder, mama, you're not failing if your kids are asking for snacks constantly. It's just part of the summer life. But when we offer the right kind of fuel, protein, fiber, real food, we're helping our kids stay regulated before the meltdowns begin. I have one particular son who just cannot stay regulated when he's not being fed a healthy diet of protein and complex carbs that are gonna stay in his system a little longer.
Kelsey:He has the crashes so bad. And when he gets hangry, he gets hangry. Like we cannot reason with him. We cannot get him to comply with the simplest of commands. And we have learned from experience and trial and error that this kid needs the right kind of energy.
Kelsey:And that is why I wanted to make this list for you and wanted to give you some ideas because we have had so many ups and downs. And I have just learned that, man, what a big difference it makes if I can just be prepared with some go to snacks for my family so that we can actually enjoy all the things we wanna do on summer vacation while we're out and about at parks or at splash pads or at the pool, And we're not dealing with huge meltdowns. It honestly breaks my heart when I see moms and kids struggling and battling, having these power struggles, where maybe some of it could have been lessened had you not been dealing with a really hangry kid. I'm sure you guys have started to recognize these kinds of situations with your own kids. And when we are aware of this, we can avoid so many of these unnecessary battles.
Kelsey:Let's just nourish their bodies so that they can enjoy their childhood and we can enjoy their childhood and our motherhood a little bit more. Thanks for being here today. If this episode encouraged you or gave you some new ideas, would you mind writing a review so that more moms can find out about this podcast? Or maybe even share it with a friend, share it on your social media, screenshot it, and tag me on your social media so that more and more moms can find resources to help make motherhood more enjoyable. And don't forget to go download your snack list.
Kelsey:It's in the show notes or on my Instagram creating. Intentional. Mothers totally free and totally will help save your sanity. So until next time, I'm Kelsey, and this is Intentional Motherhood.