Summer Break Is Here
Summer break is right around the corner and the kids are excited. This means lots of free time which in the eyes of a child is great news. For parents this could be a huge stressor. All you may think of is how to keep your sanity for the next couple of months with the kids home all day. You may be faced with restless children that are all over the house or kids that complain about being bored and nothing to do. This is why you would want to approach summer break like you would with any other important event that you may plan. Having an idea of what your kids will be doing during this down time will minimize the chance of unforeseen chaos.
The goal as a parent is to prevent the “summer blues” and help guide your children to have an exciting and fulfilling summer. This in return will help you save a little on your sanity of having the kids home all day. However, whether you are working full time, part time, or have the pleasure to be a stay at home mom or dad, it is definitely a topic that goes across most parents minds. The key is in being intentional in your summer planning. This holds true for any age group of children.
Parents please know that it will be ok and we will all make it to the next school year. I hope this article will provide you with some great ideas on how to be summer break ready while keeping your kids busy and saving your sanity.
6 Strategic Ways To Keep Kids Busy During the Summer
Create a Schedule- This might be the single most important tip to take away from this article. When your kids are out for the summer the first thing that runs across their mind is FREE TIME! They automatically feel as though their days should go however they want it to go. Having your kids home all day with them filling up the schedule could result in chaos and plenty of headaches. As a parent I believe this would be the first mistake. Although it is summer break, it is still very important to have expectations and organization of how your children's day goes. I would encourage creating or purchasing a big calendar and having a family meeting of how the summer norm will look. Getting feedback from the children will encourage participation in what the expectation is for your household. This will look different from family to family. This dry erase board monthly calendar from Amazon is a great tool to use when planning your summer fun activities.
2. Get Your Kids Involved-Summer break offers wonderful opportunities for kids to get involved in different activities they may not have had the opportunity to do during the normal school year. The great thing about this tip is finding out what your child is interested in and tailoring some of their interest into activities to do. This could be anything from kids summer sport team, summer camp, music lessons, volunteering, or starting their own little summer time entrepreneur business. This could be selling lemonade to the community or depending on their age helping with yard work in the neighborhood. When you brainstorm ways to get your kids involved with volunteer work this simple gesture can teach your kids how to give back. One thing that we have done in the past years is Meals on Wheels where we deliver food to the elderly and disabled. You can also have your children make care kits to pass out and give to the homeless. Click here to find out how to make care kits for the homeless.
3. Find free activities in your area-One way to get your new dry erase board calendar filled up is by researching free or cheap activities to do in your area for family and kids. Having the kids home throughout the summer could be expensive so it is helpful to know what are some fun free or cheap activities that's available. There are places such as the library, parks and recreation that offer free things to do with your kids. Get in touch with other parents that might be interested in playdates especially for your littles.
4. Projects around the house-This is a great way to keep the kids busy and also provide you with some additional helping hands if your kids are old enough. Maybe you have been wanting to get that garden started, clean out that cluttered shed, fix or paint that dingy furniture. Having projects for your kids to do can help in building their confidence and open up the opportunity for them to learn something new. Try these amazing kids friendly tools.
5. Doing creative arts and crafts activities- When you have littles at the house, finding fun and creative activities to do at home should be on the top of your list. Not only will your kids be engaged in creating different things, it usually is easy on the budget. Most of the time these activities ask for materials or items that you already have around the house. As a mom this makes for easy preparation. If you feel like you don't have ideas to do I would encourage you to read 7 Creative Kids Activities At Home-Survival Mode. There are so many fun things to do and the sky's the limit on what you can have your children create. You can find additional creative arts and craft ideas in my post 10 Creative Mother's Day Arts and Crafts Gifts.
6. Providing a rotation of chores-This tip is a very popular way of providing your children the skills necessary to grow and become responsible. A huge part of you keeping your sanity is teaching your children how to take care of things around the house. More than likely the house will get dirtier quicker, the trash can will fill up faster, and things will be out of place more often. Allowing your kids to be a part of creating the chores list and the rotation will increase the chance of a more positive reaction.
Parent Time
It is so important while you are collaborating with your children on how summer break will look, to make sure to carve out some “me time”. Summer break can feel overwhelming and exhausting for parents. These emotions may increase the chance of burnout if you are not strategic or intentional in how your children use their time. Providing them options and experiences will lead to them enjoying their break and you with less headaches. Below are some ideas on how you can schedule in your “me time” while still being home with the kids.
When the kids are napping, take a moment to do something that you enjoy. This could be anything from sitting on the porch while drinking a cup of tea or watching your favorite episode.
First thing in the morning before everyone wakes up, do some yoga, stretching, or some exercises just to get your blood flowing for the day.
At the end of the day when everyone is starting to settle down, sneak away to the tub and take a nice hot bubble bath and play your favorite music.
However, you choose to plan out your summer with your kids, remember to have fun.
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