School is out and almost everyone has at least another month to go with 24/7 kids. If you are like me then the budget for daycare or a full time childcare “camp life” is just not feasible.
What do you do? Some of us are thrilled for slower mornings, pool lunches, and even screen time replacing the sports schedules. Others of us are stressing over the amount of boredom, snacks and devices. So how do we create an environment that screams summer without breaking the bank or breaking our sanity?
Here I talk about the best summer strategies you will ever have and the list that will keep you sane while keeping your kids happy! Not just for this summer but all future summer endeavors.
# 1. Create a schedule. No schedule at all is a disaster waiting to happen. Going from extreme structure to zero structure creates actual stress. Even on vacation most people have a loose plan or idea of what they want to do. When to head to the beach, what books they are gonna take, what day they are not gonna cook, what day they go golfing, or out to brunch. Involve the kids but create a plan that fits in rest and play.
Ideas: create a theme like Pirates or Prairie Days and do things around these themes once a month or even week. I have “Mommy Monday’s all summer long where I personally take the kids to do something or focus on something with me each Monday. Library, bike rides, ice scream shop, painting projects, all go on “Mommy Monday”. It starts off the week on a good foot so even if everything else falls apart I know I got some good quality time right from the start.
# 2- Do give kids more responsibilities. During the school/sport season my kids job is their grades and doing
there best. I do their laundry. I don’t want them focusing on that but during the summer when they don’t have tests or competitions or sport games they fold their own laundry and my oldest even washes/dries hers too.
#3 Screen time. I like using screen time privileges in late in the afternoon after we are all fried or frazzled from each other so in order to do this they can’t just flip it on every morning cause then the allotted time is gone! Pick what works best for you and then plan accordingly. If you have toddlers that nap in the afternoon breakfast and cartoons before the day gets going is fine! Just remember that when 4:30p.m. roles around and everyone is crazy but you’ve already watched 2 hours of peppa pig.
# 4. – A Reading schedule. My kids have zero summer school but 20 minutes of reading most days are required.
#5 – Plan special events. I like to throw in days for yes days, PJ’ days, outside all day, Holiday celebrations, and special events. Think free concert on lawns, walk to the park, picnic hikes, and jumping on the bed. All free and all fabulous!
#6 – Create a budget for extra things – like pizza, movie nights, zoo visits, or water parks. Space things out – the last thing you need is all these
grande plans and then you fizzle out on day four of the summer fun either financially or physically.
#7 Cooking. When it comes to meals and menu it can become the most stressful thing in the entire summer. Keep it simple. Often people go over board because now they are home and want family meal time that isn’t interrupted by book reports or baseball games. Make it easy is my motto.
Examples are: Taco TUESDAY/Fancy Friday /Meatless Monday. You can be create in these things and still keep it easy and enjoyable.
For fun snacks: trays laid out after breakfast full of different compartments of things like nuts, cheese, cucumbers, blueberries. Once it’s done it’s done. No more asking about snacks. That is the allotted amount. They can eat them at 10am. or 4p.m. but this is the allotted snack amount. Period the end. This prevents a raider from eating everything in the cupboard and then not eating their dinner.
Summer is my very favorite… I hope your summer is filled with sunshine and laughter and these ideas help you make it your favorite season too.
Creating Exceptional 