Summer has officially started and that means my kids will be home for 9 week! On this episode of the podcast I am sharing the 10 things I plan to do this summer to make sure I don’t lose my mind.
Someone once said that we have 18 summers with our kids. That totally blew my mind until another mom said, “Well, that’s not actually accurate. Once the kids get into high school they will be in sports or have jobs (or be too cool as teenagers to hang out with you) so they won’t be around to do activities or go on trips as a family.
So with that in mind, I started off by envisioning my ideal summer. I wanted to create some intentions or goals for how I wanted summer to go. First, I want to have fun and make memories. Secondly, I want my boys to spend time together, to really bond as brothers. And last, I want to not go crazy and lose my patience every 5 minutes because the boys are fighting or the house is a mess.
I created these 10 tips to help us survive this summer and enjoy it to the fullest.
My Summer Survival Guide for Moms
- Have a loose schedule or routine for the day that includes getting out of the house.
2. Chores – Summer means the kids are going to be home all day and the mess is going to grow incrementally. So to combat this, I am having my boys do simple daily chores and weekly chores. I decided to buy these chore charts to hang on the refrigerator.
3. Let Kids be Bored – All the research I’ve read talks about letting kids get bored and the importance of this. I do want my kids to get bored and figure something out on their own. But, when it comes to getting them to actually STOP saying “I’m So Bored,” you need to check out this chart! Download and print it HERE.
4. Bucket List – Start making a bucket list of all the places and things you and your kids would like to try this summer. For ideas, read My Summer Bucket List Ideas.
Download and print the bucket list HERE
5. Food and Drinks – When my kids aren’t in school, they want snacks ALL DAY LONG and they take out about 5 drink cups each. I decided to make one corner of our kitchen counter the “Drink Station.” This is where water bottles have to stay when we are home. I am also putting a snack container out filled with all the snacks I will let them eat between meals. They are welcome to grab anything from this bin if they are hungry. I am going to put granola bars, apples, bananas, graham crackers etc in it. This way they have somewhat healthy snacks and can eat if they are hungry without asking me.
6. More Outside Play – I have learned that my boys need more outside play. And not just playing in our back yard but really getting out and dirty. We recently went to a local creek and for two hours my boys were totally entertained and not once did they fight. They threw rocks in the creek, collected sticks etc. They just need more space to explore outside.
7. Camps – There are a plethora of camps in our area. From swimming and sports to full day camps. I don’t want to give my kids too much structured activity this summer but I did find that planning a few camps over the summer helps to break things up. My oldest son will be doing a baseball and art camp each lasting a week.
8. Learning Time – As a former teacher, I know that it is important to not stop learning but I also want to give my kids a break. The only thing I am requiring my kids to do this summer is spend 10 minutes reading (whatever book they want) and I want my 9 year old to practice his multiplication facts every week day.
9. Me Time – The only way I’m going to survive the summer is making sure I have some me time to recharge. Whether this is working out every morning, reading a book or hiring a baby sitter for a few hours, I can’t ignore myself this summer.
10. Connect with Other moms – As an extrovert I know how important it is to connect with other adults. Planning things with other moms is great for this. My friends and I want to do a weekly beach day and I am also hoping to connect with a few new moms from preschool that I swapped numbers with.
You Can Listen to This Podcast Here:
