Summer. Warm weather, relaxing by the pool with a book, sipping a nice cool drink. Sounds delightful, right? But we all know summer with a few kids underfoot isn’t always relaxing (unless, of course, you’ve planned a relaxing kid-free vacation)! But even though I might not be reading in a hammock, summer is still by far my favorite time of year. A little prep work ahead of time helps things run smoothly and I look forward to having my kids home with me all day. Here are a few of my top 3 tips for surviving summer with little ones.
“Welcome to Summer” Gifts. On the last day of school each year, my kids come home to a bucket of summer entertainment. We keep it super simple and the bucket is generally filled with things I’d end up having to buy over the course of the summer anyway. But it gets us all excited for summer fun! Since I have a 7-year spread between my kids, it’s nice for each of them to get a little something just for them (and I know they at least have a few entertaining toys for the summer). A few examples of summer toys are sidewalk chalk and stencils, bubbles, water balloons and a pump, a swimsuit and coverup, pool toys (dive sticks, noodles, boats, etc), a new beach towel, sand toys. I’ve already started picking up a few things here and there when I see a great sale or something I know my kids will love.
Pick a Summer Splurge. If it’s in your budget, I highly recommend a summer splurge that you know will help create great summertime fun and build memories for your family. For a few years my family has joined a local neighborhood pool. This has been a great place for us to spend time with each other, meet friends and help curb summer boredom. Prior to joining the pool, some other years we splurged on backyard “toys” like a trampoline, climbing dome and swingset. I know not everyone has a large backyard for toys or access to a neighborhood pool, but there are so many other options for a little splurge like getting an annual pass to a local park with a lake, joining a Children’s Museum or signing your kids up for a weekly class through your parks and recreation department.
Stick to a Schedule. This is the summertime “rule” I break the most. Not too many days look the same in our summer. We may head to the beach, a friend’s house, an amusement park, you get it! However, I’m going to try to stick to a loose schedule at least for the days we plan on staying in town. The schedule might look something like this: morning – chores then, play time or pool time until after lunch (we frequently pack a picnic if we’re out at lunch time). Afternoon–down time/nap time. My youngest is not a consistent napper, but we all need a little break by the afternoon. So while he has nap time, my bigger kids have down time. They can do their daily reading, maybe do a summer “school” activity (though admittedly I’m not so good at that), and entertain themselves for a bit while I prep dinner. After nap time, more play/pool/friend time. They have plenty of time to play and still get in a little bit of school work and house work. And it helps if we all know what to expect from the day.
What does summer look like at your house? Do you have any traditions or great ideas for keeping everyone happy all summer long?
