Summer Survival--Bonus Round

As promised, here is the schedule I will be using with my kids this summer. I'm posting it as an example--an outline you can use to come up with your own summer plan. Because the one thing you can count on with kids is that what works for one will not work for another.

Our Summer Schedule

Before 7:00 (while Mom and Caboose are still sleeping)—eat breakfast, empty dishwasher, get dressed and brush teeth

7:00—9:00—screens (Mom wakes up and gets ready sometime here, whenever the baby alarm goes off)

9:00-10:00—morning jobs (clean up bedrooms, then pick up and put away 20 things around the rest of the house, play outside if you finish early)

10:00— snack time
10:15-12:30—morning activities

Monday—laundry day (use your imaginations to play nicely together, or you’re welcome to help mom with the laundry
Tuesday—library day
Wednesday—lake beach day
Thursday—park playdates

Friday—open engagement (whatever mom has planned—bike riding, swimming, play with friends, lake beach, bouncy house, etc.)

12:30—Lunch. Now is the time for all kids ages 5 and up to learn how to make their own lunches.  I will make lunch for Caboose and myself.  If you want what we’re having, tell me and I will make extras for you.  If not, make your own lunch!  This includes cleaning up after yourself. (Some options are: Taquitos, burritos, hot dogs, mac & cheese, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, spaghettios, little pizzas, chicken nuggets, ramen, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup)

1:00-3:00—Caboose naptime, so everyone BE QUIET!

1:00—reading time (everyone pick a book to read or look at—if you get bored of your book you can read a book to Plucky)

2:00—project time/arts and crafts (you can keep reading, practice writing or cursive, board games, coloring, make inventions, art, pluffy, coloring, stamping, watercolor painting, typing practice, book writing on computer, playdough, projects from science books in the closet, boy Scout stuff, etc.)

3:00—Snack time,
3:15-5:00—Screen time

5:00-6:00—Mom make dinner. Kids play outside, in bedrooms, or set the table

6:00-7:00—Dinner

7:00—get ready for bed, baths/showers, brush teeth

7:30—Caboose in bed.  Girls in bedroom.  If you want mom to snuggle, tell story or read books, now is the time. Lights out at 8:00. 

8:00—Boys get ready for bed, then quiet time in bedroom. If you want mom to do songs, now is the time. Then be responsible for turning the lights out at 9:30 and going to sleep on your own.
8:30—Mom is OFF DUTY!!!

And just in case you're interested, here is my schedule from a few years back when I was still making lunches for everyone. They each got a day to pick what we were having for lunch. In looking back through my schedules, I noticed that as my kids got older, my schedules became more detailed. The assumption is that they'll be reading it, especially when they're "bored" (I post it in the kitchen where everyone can see it). So if your kids are young, you probably don't need as many details as I've got in the one above.

Our Summer Schedule - 2010

Before 7:00—read in your bedroom

7:00—eat breakfast, brush teeth

7:30—chores (boys unload dishwasher, girls tidy bedroom, everyone make beds and brush teeth, and any other chores mom needs done like taking out trash, cleaning up playroom, etc.)

8:00—screen time

10:00—morning outing or planned activity (park, playdates, splash park, library, swim at the lake, beach, etc.)

12:00—lunch (Some options are:  hot dogs, mac & cheese, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, spaghettios, little pizzas, chicken nuggets)                  Monday:  Mellow’s choice

                                Tuesday:  Energy’s choice

                                Wednesday:  Plucky’s choice

                                Thursday:  Bright’s choice

                                Friday:  Mom’s choice

1:00—reading time (everyone pick a book to read or look at)

1:30—quiet time (you can keep reading, practice writing, workbooks, coloring, typing practice, playdough, Energy scout stuff, etc.)

3:00—Snack time

3:30— Imagination time (Free play, be creative and use your imaginations, Energy practice piano)

4:30—Screen Time (Mom make dinner)

6:00—Dinner

7:15—get ready for bed, baths/showers

8:00—Girls Bedtime/Boys quiet time in room

8:30—Boys Bedtime

Hopefully the past few posts have gotten you thinking, and you now have some new ideas for surviving summer with kids. As exhausting as it is to keep everyone happy, I really enjoy the long days I get to spend with my kids without homework concerns, dance classes or music lessons. Over the summer, I purposely take a break from those things so that we can just enjoy being together. I know the whole rat race will kick in again as soon as fall arrives. Summer is less than ten weeks long, and I choose to enjoy it!!