Cheerios with Red Raisins and Quality Time

Cheerios asked some of us moms in the Cheerio’s Blogger Circle how we use the quality time we spend with our children to ensure the best nourishment for body and mind. So in the spirit of sharing, I’ll let you in on a little moment during my day which I hold very dear.


One of the little life lessons we try and teach our son is about making healthy choices. I’m not just talking about teaching our son that drinking milk is a healthier choice than soda or that a snack is different than a treat…learning to make healthy choices in life expands beyond what kids learn to eat. It involves showing our kids what choices they make throughout the day are good choices…and what choices are not so good.

One of my favorite moments of my day is the time right after my son, Bradley, gets out of school and before the madness of homework, dinner time, soccer practice, and the day to day nonsense of a school night begin. It’s that hour or so of time that feels like a little ray of sunshine is beaming down in to my busy day. Our quality time. That small bit of time is when my son and I have to talk, have a snack, hang out for a bit, and stay connected. By stopping everything else in my day and focusing on him, our conversation and that moment in time he understands that he is important & loved.

I’ve gotten to know my son pretty well in our little talks. He munches on some Cheerios with red raisins (aka dried cranberries) as it’s is snack of choice & I get to hear if the little life lessons we try and instill in our son are actually getting put to use.

Without this time, I wouldn’t get to find out if he ate all of his lunch before his “treat”….how he helped a classmate by translating the day’s math lesson in to a 3rd graders language…or why chattering away loudly with his friends in the cafeteria maybe wasn’t the best choice he could have made. It’s pretty funny how honest this little guy feels he can be with me during this time. I hope that honesty never goes away.