This post was sponsored by Kinder but the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

What would you do to see your child happy?  The answer is simple – “Anything,” right? Yet, most of us get caught up in the everyday hustle, rushing from one thing to the next. Worrying about schedules and being diligent about not slipping away from the routine.  We often do not leave room (nor time) for special moments. After I became a mom, I learned the true value of time.  When you are a mom, every second counts.  Running two businesses and a household leaves almost no time for flexibility.  The other day after picking up my son from school, I decided that maybe instead of rushing home to make dinner and following our daily routine, I would change things up a bit.  

I stopped by the grocery store on my way to pick him up from school and bought a couple of pre-made sandwiches and fruit cups.  When I arrived to pick him up, I told him I had a surprise for him.  You all should have seen the look on his face when I said the word ‘surprise’- it was priceless.  Instead of rushing us home, I drove us to the local park playing his favorite tunes on the radio.  The closer we got to the park, the more excited he got about his ‘surprise’. When we finally arrived, I told him we were having a special mommy and son ‘surprise picnic’.  Lord, was he happy. He sat right next to me and said “Mommy, this is so cool.” In the middle of the meal, I told him to close his eyes because there was still one more surprise left in the day.  When he opened them, I handed him a Kinder Joy. His eyes were filled with joy and excitement, all at the same time. “OH.MY.GOSH” were the first words out if his mouth.  We quickly opened the treat and savored every last bit of the two soft creamy layers – one milk-crème flavored and one cocoa flavored.  He, of course, then assembled the surprise toy that comes inside every Kinder Joy. This, I think, was his favorite part of the entire afternoon.  Then, we took the toys to the play yard and spent the rest of the time being kids together. It was out of our routine, but totally worth it. 

Sometimes, as parents, we can often get very close minded.  We think we have to do things “a certain way.”  Truth is, there is no “right way” to parent.  We will all make mistakes along the way, but the bright side is that we are in this together, mamas.  Let’s make the most of it.  Make it a point this week to surprise your kids with something.  Step out of your comfort zone and create new memories. Here are a few suggestions on how to surprise your kid.

1.     Create a surprise picnic- Sometimes the simplest of things create the biggest memories and smiles.  Do as I did, grab a few sandwiches, snacks and take your kids on a surprise picnic on a random day of the week after school. 

2.    Dress Up as their favorite super hero– Yes, this may sound a bit extra, but imagine the look on their faces when you wake them up dressed up as Batman or Wonder Woman.  Seriously, just do it. (And don’t wait until Halloween!) 

3.    Make a family outdoor slumber party– Why wait until a special occasion, or until you have people over? Save a Friday night for an outdoor movie (even if it’s on your iPad) and spend the night outdoors.

4.    Non-Easter Egg Hunt– Why wait a whole year to create a surprise egg hunt? Do it on a random Saturday evening. Nothing beats them finding a surprise egg on a random day.