1. Stay in bed as long as possible.

Being a parent can be as exhausting as it is exhilirating. So when your 2 year-old decides its time to start the day, before you get going with the whole diaper changing routine and charge into the family room only to watch every toy you put away 12 hours ago end up back on the floor in record time, bring your child into bed with you. Not only will they love being there, but their energy level won't skyrocket quite as quickly (which means you probably can get away with opening only one eye, letting the other eye get some exta rest).

2. Get out of the house.

As soon as you've finished breakfast and whatever else needs to happen before YOU are ready to leave the house, get out! Go! No matter how much your child likes their toys, their room, their videos or whatever they have in the house, they'll like being outside better. The unpredictability of the outdoors makes every journey out of the house an adventure, which your child will love early in the day. Being out also forces you to start your engines, which makes being with your child much more enjoyable than when you're still using toothpicks to keep your eyelids apart.

3. Run.

Well, I actually mean get your CHILD to run. Children have more energy than we do (have you heard of that study in which a athlete in peak physical condition tries to mimick a child's behavior for a whole day...and can't?). They also can turn on that energy in an instant. At around 2 years old, that means they need to be on the move. So let 'em go...let them run, climb, roll, jump, hang, swing, slide, dig...whatever! That way when its time to go back inside for lunch or a nap (or both), they'll actually be mellow enough to settle into it.

There are a lot of things to do on a Saturday morning, and if you have a 2 year-old, chances are you can't get to any of them. Instead of worrying about it, try the above formula. By the time the afternoon rolls around, you'll have a smile on your face and you will have made your child's day.