For most of you summer has arrived. Maybe it’s arrived in the form of children being home with you, or maybe in the form of a shorter morning commute. I know the big sign for me is the warm weather! What are your plans for the summer? Do you have big extravagant plans or are you planning on relaxing? Whatever your plan is, it will work better with a little organization! Get out your notebook, weekly planner, wall calendar or a sheet of paper and get ready to plan!
Food:
Plan the week ahead, whether it means making sure you’ve got enough watermelon to snack on and lettuce for salads or fish, beef or chicken for grilling. Organize your trip to the food stores in one afternoon, freeing up the rest of your week.
Family time:
Summer is when you spend a ton of time with the family. Schedule time that you will all be together, a weekly trip or activity to do and what will be required of each of you for that trip (share the responsibilities).
Vacation:
Absolutely! You should definitely take a vacation. Whether it’s a trip to the beach and you stay overnight with friends or a big trip to another part of the country or world. It’s important to take time to get away, unplugging if you possibly can.
Learning:
Don’t run away yet, learning can be fun! Read books of all kinds, learn about all kinds of people, and visit museums or national parks. It doesn’t have to be boring, there are tons of fun ways to learn and grow your mind, you just have to be smart and creative about where you go!
Exercise:
A lazy summer is not the best idea. Get outside for at least an hour a day. Maybe it’s an early morning/evening walk, a 30 minute lap-swim at the pool, or a hike each day.
TV:
Most kids and parents will freak out if I suggest that you shouldn’t watch TV. TV, just like all the other activities we’re scheduling into our summer weeks here is fine in moderation. As usual, the recommendation for not watching news and picking something to watch that actually engages your mind and emotions, stands.
Clean up:
Just because it’s summer it doesn’t mean we are letting go of our responsibilities. Spend a little bit of time cleaning and organizing each day with the kids. A great time would be before bed or before dinner, depending on what your schedule is like, so that the whole house is picked up before the kids even get in bed!
Relaxing/alone time:
You must take time to be alone this summer. With all the family time, it’s important to be insist upon everyone having quiet and alone time each and every day. Maybe it’s 30 minutes of quiet time reading before bed, or mid-afternoon with the option to either play quietly or read. Don’t plan your schedule so full that you don’t have any time to take advantage of the slow summer days.
Time with friends:
Don’t neglect your friendships this summer! It may be a bit harder because everyone’s schedule is different, but do what you can to talk and spend time with friends. Maybe coordinate with a couple other families to do a rotating kid day where one family gets all the kids one afternoon or morning each week.
With all of these great ideas, make sure you have a schedule that the whole family can see and agree to. Adding a little structure and organization to your summer will help you have lots of fun, and keep the “b” word from coming out of your kid’s mouths. What are your thoughts and plans for your family each day this summer?