Worry Free Summer
Summer! School is out, schedules are free and the living is easy. Or is it? With a little prep work and a plan in place, you can schedule your summer the way it should be—worry free.
Plan It or Wing It?
Much of summer’s appeal is a slower-paced day with less-restrictive schedules. So why put a plan in place? The days will progress more smoothly if everyone knows what to expect. Even the most loosely planned season will help you get special trips and events completed before summer’s end.
If you are a planner, create a summer calendar and post it in a place the entire family can view. Write vacations and regularly scheduled activities (swim lessons and summer library programs) on the calendar first. Then, add in special day trips and excursions. Ask family members to be involved in choosing activities so that everyone will have an event to anticipate.
Do thoughts of calendars and schedules make your head ache? If you are a mom who likes to wing it, you can benefit from thinking ahead without overdoing the schedule.
Jennifer, mom to two, says, “I do a combination of planning and flying by the seat of my pants. I try to schedule one to two activities each week and leave the rest of the time open for spur-of-the-moment activities.”
Jenni, mom of two, also mixes up the summer schedule. “We plan periodic ‘big’ days--a trip to the zoo, for example. We also plan lots of group activities and play dates and leave at least two days each week for running the sprinkler and climbing trees in our own yard.”
Be Consistent
Routines offer day-to-day consistency and can be crucial to the overall success of a single day. Kelly says, “I have younger kids (2 and 6) and if they don’t stick to some type of schedule, I have two super monsters on my hands!”
Routines don’t need to be boring or restrictive. Eat meals at about the same time each day, but take advantage of the relaxed schedule and try something new. Eat breakfast outside in pajamas, take lunch to the park or share a snack under a shade tree.
Find the natural ebb and flow to your days and include regular naptimes and rest breaks in your daily routine. “Our older son benefits from his daily quiet time and our younger is MUCH happier, at 2 years old, if he gets his afternoon nap,” says Liz, mom of two.
Keep bedtime consistent, too. Whether your kids play until dark or go to bed promptly at 8, a regular bedtime will benefit the entire family. “As parents, we think it will be a treat to let our kids stay up late. Then I’m always sorry that I did the next day because they are tired and cranky,” says Jan, mom of five.
Organize Fun
A touch of organization means more fun and less stress for everyone.
“I keep a set of Rubbermaid drawers in my garage with things like water guns, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, balls and gloves so whenever the kids want to play outside they know right where to go to pick up their favorite toys,” says Nicole, mom of three. Nicole also keeps healthy snacks on hand. “For my teens, food is key! Anything they can pick up with their hands and take on the run is great.”
“Something we are looking forward to this summer is getting together with families in our neighborhood for dinner once a week,” says Jenni, mom of two. “We’ll meet at rotating houses on Thursday afternoons, let the kids run and play and all eat dinner together, picnic style.”
Don’t wait another minute! Get busy scheduling a worry-free summer and watch your entire family have a great season.
Julie Steed plans for a worry-free summer with a dry-erase calendar and lots of trips to the pool near her home in Leavenworth.