☀️ why my kids are “rotting” on purpose 😆

I do this thing where I carry “Summer Fun Mom” guilt.

Where my inner monologue sounds like...

I should be planning epic field trips, messy crafts, themed snacks, backyard obstacle courses, etc!

People should walk into my house and say, “This is either a summer camp or a Pinterest board!”

I should be pin-able, D***t!

Oh! And also, I’m running a business from my home, and I need all that to be epic, too.

(No pressure.)

Meanwhile, while pitching an action-packed day, my 7-year-old looked at me and said:

"Hey mom, is it cool if I rot?"

Ma’am?

(I didn't even know she knew that tiktok term)

The others chimed in and agreed. “We don’t really want a gigantic adventure today. We just want to chill out.”

Hmm.

A few years ago, we were gearing up for our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney. (Re: ONCE because SPENCY)

I asked my Disney pro friends how they would go about doing all four parks in one trip.

Their answer?

“Take a FULL rest day in between each park day.”

They said: go hard at Magic Kingdom, then take a full day off. Sleep in. Order takeout. Lounge. Then hit the next park rested and ready to be there from open to fireworks, and so on.

Genius.

It worked SO well that now, even on regular vacations, we’ve mimicked this go hard day, rest hard day, repeat. (See: my top travel hacks)

So this summer, I decided to try an experiment (as I do).

If the rest/play rhythm works for vacations,
Could I apply it to our entire summer vacation?

Presenting....

The “Play Hard, Rest Hard” Hack — Summer Edition

Here’s how last week went:

Kids’ Schedule:
🛋 Monday: rest day (re: guilt-free rot)
🎉 Tuesday: play day
🛋 Wednesday: rest day
🎉 Thursday: play day
🛋 Friday: rest day

My Schedule:
💻 Monday: work day
🎉 Tuesday: play day
💻 Wednesday: work day
🎉 Thursday: play day
🛋 Friday: rest day

On rest days, the kids can chill, snack, stream, and yes—even rot.
And I can work, guilt-free.

Everyone knows the rhythm.
No surprises.
No scrambling.
No “should I be doing more?”

Why It’s Working (aka: The Brain Science)

I tend to go hard in whatever mode I’m in.
Apparently, there’s a term for this: hyperfixation — or as Google describes, when your brain intensely locks into one task or interest and it’s hard to switch out of it.

Same, girl.

Switching between tasks—like going from “mom mode” to “boss mode” and back again—costs your brain energy.

It’s called context switching, and it slows down your focus and ramps up your mental load.

Every time you switch gears, your brain has to reorient. And it takes longer than you think.

But when the whole day is aligned in one mode—whether it’s work, play, or full-on sloth—you don’t lose energy trying to shift.

You get momentum.
And you get permission.

I know exactly what mode I’m in. And because it’s on the calendar, there’s no guilt.
If it’s a work day and I’m working? I feel on track.
If it’s a play day and we’re at the water park? I’m not stressed about an unfinished to-do list.
If it’s rest day and we’re watching movies and eating popcorn for lunch? I’m all in. (Pistachios for me, tho)

TRY THIS:

If your summer feels like a blur of half-working, half-parenting, half-panicking, (half-realizing you can't do math)
Try batching your brain mode.

Pick your play days
Pick your work days
Pick your rot days

And let each one be fully what it is.

"BUT KATIE!"

Can’t do a full day?
Try a block of time. Adjust as needed. I used to do something more like this:

If you want your own freebie printables, you can snag them here,

Kids are super young and aren’t capable of an independent rest day?
I learned the hard way: ask for help, ask for help, ask for help. In the past, I’ve hired a “mommy’s little helper" (re: a 12-year old who watched my kids while I was still home in another room, re: cheaper!) 2 days a week for 4 hr concentrated work blocks. I’ve had “mother in law Mondays” ect.

There's lot of room to implement this idea, but the main point is: It is amazing how much pre-assigned concentrated hours do to alleviate the pressure.

Assign the time. Block the time. Release being anything else during that time.

-Katie Day

P.S. If you fall into "I should be more Pinterest-worthy" guilt trap, hit reply and just say "SAME"

Coming Up:

Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 1: Group Coaching on Zoom inside The Habit Lab (grab your free trial and just jump in with us!)

Tuesday, July 15: Group Coaching on Zoom inside The Habit Lab

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