Do your kids like routines? Or do you like routines? It's great to enjoy more relaxed times in the summer after being tied to to all the schedules dictated during the school year. But most kids {and moms!} thrive in an environment that is still somewhat structured. Routines help with that.
So, today I want to share with you the routine I put together for the kids and I this summer. Actually, I made two routines.
The kids are registered for a few half-day camps and Vacation Bible Schools, so for 4 of our 9 weeks we need to be somewhere in the mornings. But the other 5 weeks we have more time at home.
So I created routines for both scenarios. I tried to keep as much as I could the same for both situations so it wouldn't be drastically different each week.
Here's the end result!
As you can see, most of the items are the same. The key difference is that during our "home" weeks, we'll have lots of outdoor time in the mornings instead of going to camp/VBS.
We'll have fun doing things like playing in the playground in our complex, enjoying lots of items from our backyard deckbox, riding their bikes/scooter, gardening, and reading outside. I figure it's cooler in the mornings so we might as well take advantage of that time.
I also allowed one hour of screen time in the morning those days. On camp days, I put in screen time after lunch instead. I originally had a longer chunk of screen time all in the later afternoon (for both types of weeks), but when I showed the routine to the kids, they said they'd prefer having it split it up. So I rearranged things a bit and I actually think it's better this way, even if the day looks more choppy.
During our at-home weeks, we'll go on some other outings once in awhile after lunch (library visits, free bowling, playdates, etc.). Or, the kids will have an opportunity to help with some chores or organizing projects to "earn" extra screen time.
Even though the schedule looks detailed, it flows really well. It gives the kids some breaks from each other (and gives me some breaks from them) so we can all enjoy the time we do spend together. And it provides opportunities to do lots of the things they included on their summer brainstorming lists.
The times are just guidelines and we're not sticking to them very rigidly unless we need to be somewhere at a certain time. It's more about having a flow to our day so we all know what's happening next. It really helps reduce arguments/fights/disagreements about what we're going to do when. And fills the day enough that they aren't thinking about screens all the time :)
Of course, there will be plenty of days when we will set aside the schedule completely. Longer playdates, special gatherings and some day trips will take priority. Oh, and the weather... we'll have to be flexible around it sometimes :)
But for those "normal" days... this routine will help us have fun, do lots of things we want to do, and get along with each other while we're doing it! {Most of the time anyway!}
One more look...
This routine sheet hangs in our kitchen command centre, in place of one of the daily routines from the school year. The kids check it several times a day to see what we're doing next. It's fun to see them excited about what's coming up!
Next week, I'll share how I organized our cleaning time, learning time, and activity time. In the meantime, if you're looking for other summer organizing ideas, check out my Summer board on Pinterest.
How do you organize your summer? Do you have routines? How much screen time do you allow your kids to have? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Happy organizing!
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