I bet you’re just like me…excited for a carefree summer, but a little worried about the inevitable chaos. In order to create a carefree summer of fun, I created a complete listing of tips that I called Summer Survival Guide for Moms with a variety of ideas to help us get through this next season with the kids. Below are my five favorite tips to ease your summer chaos and embrace greater enjoyment this season.
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Establish “Clean House Checkpoints.
” Face it…the house is going to be messier than usual during the summer. But you don’t have to give up all together. Establish a few checkpoints during the day when all personal items must be put away, such as after lunch and before bed. Anything left out goes into Gunnybag.
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Have a morning routine with the kids.
Hold on! Don’t go anywhere. This doesn’t have to be grueling. Simply establish a set time that the day starts, and have it include a few important things. We like to start the day off with a brief spiritual devotional, go over the day’s schedule, and eat breakfast together. It’s relaxed, but consistent, and gives us a grip on the day. -
Pre-pack the car.
Keep a tote packed in the trunk, and fill it with jackets, sunscreen, water bottles, a blanket for picnics, and granola bars or other snack. You never know when you’ll need them, and it makes getting out the door a lot easier. And if you have the room, a few camping chairs often come in handy. Here is a recent car packing list blog post.
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Power Hour.
If you do only one thing for yourself this summer, this is it: Get up before your kids and invest in yourself. This is vital for moms in the summer time. Most of us lose all of our alone time when the kids get out of school in June, and by early August…it shows. Note that contrary to the name, power hour doesn’t need to last an entire hour. Just carve out some time to care for yourself – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. (Mine is always first thing in the morning, before the kids wake up.)
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Fun Goals.
You know I’m all about goal setting. Summer is a great time to teach this principle in a fun way. At the beginning of the summer, get together with the kids and ask them what “fun goals” the family should accomplish together this summer. This could include vacations, outdoor adventures, excursions to a local attraction, or even a casual water party for their friends (think of the hours they could fill up with the party planning! Even better, consider the time they could spend doing small jobs to earn some money to buy party supplies!)
Doing even ONE of these can help you maintain a relative sense of order, and still let loose and create some great memories with the kids. For the complete listing of the Summer Survival Guide for Moms, click here.
