When we think about being home with the kids for the summer there can be a lot to dread AND be excited about in this season.  I have found my way out of that mental overwhelm is to make a plan on what what I DO want my summer to be. 

Over the years of planning our seasons as a family, we have developed an approach that helps us stay flexible, work around the hurdles and show up even on hard days.  I want to share the main points with you here. 

 

This episode has a companion workbook that takes you step by step through planning out the summer that you and your family want to have. 

Get your Summer on Purpose Workbook here.

 

Planning your days, as a mom

I have found so much value in having a plan on what we will do. I started planning when I was home with my babies and have been loving the benefits ever since. 

My kids even asked me to schedule their days for them during isolation, and I shared how that went here. 

 

Why should a mom make a plan?

To feel in control, rather than scramble for it last minute

To make room for the important things to happen - balance - proactive

To have some stability - for us and our kids - we know what is happening and what we need to expect and prepare for

To take ownership - don’t let summer just happen AT you

To have FUN!  We want to ENJOY summer

So often we hear the countdown of 'how many summers we have left with our kids'. And this can make us a little panicky inside. I want to approach summer with intention and abundance. 

 

Declutter the mental overwhelm of summer

Ask what you feel EXPECTED to do, by culture, society, Instagram

Ask what feels hard about summer as a mom?

I have a list:

The mornings where they get stir crazy but I’m not ready to head out

Feeding everyone healthy snacks

Getting work done

Sibling spats - those have broken my brain in the past

The energy I tell myself I will need to give them activities and adventures

How will I handle screentime

I need to really brain dump all the things cluttering my brain and then address them point by point. 

 

Planning out the summer you WANT to have

Ask your family - what summer do you want to have? What activities do you want to do? What vibes/feelings do you want summer to have?

Some years we were like road trips and camping

Some we were like backyard BBQs and beaches

Actually, we seem to rotate back and forth between the two

Some other visions for a summer:

Mocktails and gardening

Books and suntans

Fishing and hiking

Popsicles, parks and kiddie pools

Bike parks, bike paths and exploring

Neighbourhood water fights

Having a vision is so important. It lets you get clear on what you want so you can make the decisions that will get you there. 

 

Making a family bucket list for summer

We involve our kids in sharing their ideas on every season and holiday - we want to know what they hope for and see where it we can make it happen. You can also read more about our approach to family meetings right here. 

Some of the things on our bucket list this year:

Buy a pool

Bubble wars

Giant walk day

Movie day

Pajama day

Beach day

Candy day

Taste test (one of their faves)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Shawna | Life Coach for Moms (@simpleonpurpose.ca)

Other family summer bucket list ideas:

Backyard campout

Back yard movie night

Cabin stay 

Kayaking or canoeing trip

Waterslide day

Camping trip

Also see this post for a MEGA LIST of simple things to do with your kids, and get the free download to print off. 

 [convertkit form=1719242]

 

Setting daily routines for summer days

I love rhythms of the week - listen to episode 28 to hear some of the ones we often have during the school year. 

Keep it flexible by time blocking.