Say Goodbye to the Summer Scaries
Is the idea of a whole summer with the kids home making you crazy? Me too.
Summer days, oh, those sunny summer days. I love the freedom of no school schedules, spending time in the beautiful outdoors of Colorado, and making memories with my kids. Or at least that’s what I imagined summer to be like. Instead, nothing has gone according to plan so far, the kids won’t nap anymore, and I keep reminding myself to breathe in, breathe out, and count to ten.
If this resonates with you, too, please give yourself some grace. Remember that everything goes smoothly during the school year because the days are structured, so the transition to summer freedom can be messy. To get myself back on track, I’m letting go of tightly held plans and embracing a bit of planning to find a balance of sunny fun and sanity. Keep reading to find out what’s working for us these days.
Tips for a Smoother Summer with Kids
I am a firm believer that structure creates freedom. That said, I want to have room for spontaneous picnics in the park with friends. These tips will help you have both!
Map Your Summer. Print out a paper calendar and write in all the things that you have planned already. Day camps, vacations, birthdays, planned outings, etc. This will help you plan your days, prevent overbooking yourself, and also lets the big kids see what’s coming up. Anticipation is half the fun!
Follow a Schedule. I like to have an outline for the week as well as for the day. It creates a bit of predictability, which makes things easier for everyone. For example, each day of the week has a specific activity or theme. Ie, Library visit, park, playdate, chill at home, pool, etc. Then the day is planned around that activity, with the usual morning, afternoon, and evening routines to keep me sane. For example, the morning is breakfast, teeth, dressed, kitchen tidy, and the kids make their beds. After lunch is quiet time, yard play, then prep dinner. This leaves room for spontaneity, but things still get done.
Be Cautious with Yes. Summer is filled with opportunities to do things, visit people, and go places, and saying yes to them all sounds fun… Until you’ve overbooked yourself and the kids are melting down and you are exhausted. So before you say “yes” to that fun idea, sit on it for a bit. Have a look at your calendar, and ask yourself if you want to do the activity or if you simply feel obligated.
Make a Bucket List. Related to the above, do make a list of the handful of things you absolutely want to do in the summer. Put them in your calendar so you can fit them in and give yourself time to prepare. Think about what you need to do, have, or pack in advance for the big events to make the day go smoother when it comes.
Prepare for Roadblocks. When you look at your summer plans, what are the problems that might pop up, and what can you do to mitigate potential fall out? For example, we want to see a baseball game this summer. Since the games can be long, we’ll need to pick an afternoon game instead of an evening one so the littles don’t get too cranky.
Create Rules. While summer is more relaxed, I still have expectations that my kids will behave in a certain way. We have simple rules for all our common activities, like when we are at the park, pool, at a friend’s, or getting ready for bed. Since my kids are young, I take a moment to remind them of the rules beforehand. It may feel monotonous, but when they are reminded of the rules they are more likely to follow them. For example, at the park we put sunscreen on before we play, we establish where they can/cannot go, and are reminded that when it’s time to leave there is no whining.
Have Your Own Fun. Summer isn’t all about the kids, despite their best efforts. Remember to schedule time for yourself to have fun, relax, and create a summer that you love, too. When summer break first started and the kids no longer napping,, I was feeling overwhelmed by the sudden increase in noise because. I need quiet time to recharge during the day, so I’ve scheduled quiet time after lunch. I also bought the kids bluetooth headsets so they can watch tv without the noise bothering me in our open floor plan.
Now that I have a bit of a plan to tackle the rest of summer, I’m actually looking forward to what the days will bring.