1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 2: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 2: tip is to rally your family or roommates for toad time, 4 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: that is time to gather outside after dinner. This spring, 5 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 2: my family set the norm of at least trying to 6 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: go outside most nights after dinner. My little boys in particular, 7 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 2: that's my three year old and eight year old love 8 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: playing in the yard until it gets dark. It's a 9 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: good way to pass the time before bedtime. When I 10 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 2: started talking about time outside after dinner, my eleven year 11 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: old daughter gave this routine a delightful name, toad time, 12 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 2: because that's what you get with the first letters of 13 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 2: each word. After thinking about it for a while and 14 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: realizing that we are repeating the word time in this acronym, 15 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:18,279 Speaker 2: I think we might modify it to together outside after dinner, 16 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: because honestly, being out there. 17 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: With others is part of the appeal. Whatever your household configuration, 18 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: you might enjoy toad time too. We have all heard 19 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: that being outside boosts our moods. Beyond that, I find 20 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: that being outside to gather foster's connection. My kids really 21 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: play with each other outside when they are climbing trees, 22 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: or sliding down the slide on our play set, or 23 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: creating a restaurant kitchen in a log pile. When folks 24 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: stay inside, they tend to head to their own rooms 25 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: and do their own thing. Many times that involves being 26 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,559 Speaker 1: on devices, But being outside creates occasions to have fun 27 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: or relax together. If your household looks different than ours, 28 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: your toaed time may look different too. If you have teenagers, 29 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: maybe you'd like to play cards or jinga or pictionary 30 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: on your porch. If it's you and a partner or roommates, 31 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: maybe you want to have a glass of wine or 32 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: a cup of tea and chat. If you have an 33 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: elderly relative in your household, you could invite her to 34 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: share family memories while sitting outside. It can even be 35 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: nice to each curl up with a good book and 36 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: enjoy the fresh air and each other's presence in silence. 37 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: Or you can go somewhere if you want, take a 38 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: walk in your neighborhood, or bike to a nearby park 39 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 1: or ice cream shop. Visit your neighbors because maybe they 40 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: are having toad time too. One of the benefits of 41 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: summer is that the light lasts longer, so you get 42 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: extra opportunities for adventure or leisure that are hard to 43 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: pull off during the winter when you are in school 44 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: or at work. It doesn't have to be hard to 45 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: enjoy toad time. All you have to do is put 46 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: on your shoes and maybe some bugspray, set aside your 47 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: devices and chores for a little while, and go outside. 48 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: Let the toad time unfold from there. If your household 49 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: tries toad time, I'd love to hear how it goes. 50 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 51 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 52 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our text. Hey everybody, 53 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 54 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 55 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and. 56 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 2: Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the number 57 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 2: four then Breakfast Pod. 58 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 59 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled 60 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I 61 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 62 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, from iHeartRadio, visit the 63 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple 64 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.