We’re midway into the summer – the honeymoon is over…  

Kids are getting bored, fights are breaking out, and summer is starting to feel LONG.

But contrary to what the kids think, the real problem is not the lack of things to do –what we need to solve for is imbalance…

…because, just like us, kids feel better when they are living an organized life, and that means striking the right balance of work and play.

So right now is a great time for a summer reset. How can you plan activities, goals, and adventures that will really hit the mark? As Steven Covey says, we don’t want to climb all the way up a ladder just to realize that it was leaned up against the wrong wall – and too often our summer planning, though well-intended, doesn’t include things the kids are genuinely interested in (or want to support.). It’s important to do a little market research to get the kids’ buy in, so they are invested and excited about the activities that are meant to be fun and restore that much-needed balance.

But it’s also not just about fun. Summer can be an ideal time to learn essential life skills. With a little bit of thought and planning, you can be prepared for the long afternoons by teaching the kids home management, financial, and other personal skills that no one has time for during a busy school year.

And if you’d like a little help, message the word BORED to @jlthehappygal on Instagram, or click HERE, and I’ll send you a worksheet that will help the kids brainstorm all the fun things they’d like to learn and do this summer. These 4 thought provoking questions will help you understand what your kids really want this summer and make it easy for you to design activities that they will be eager to support. I’ll also send you THE PLAN – my personal list of age-appropriate skills that you can turn to when you know the kids need to learn and be productive.

Summer is a whole different ball game, and you can control the tempo much better when you’ve designed it with intention. Bored kids means imbalanced kids, and it is your job to help them become more aware of why they are feeling this way. Design your summer with some fun and some learning to minimize boredom…and you’ll create a summer they won’t forget!