5 Ways to Keep a Summer Routine (and Still Have Fun!)
School’s out, and summer is in full swing. The rigidity and demands of school year schedules fade into relaxed, long sunny days and late nights. Pool parties, vacations, cookouts—summertime is the epitome of fun. But, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all daily structure. Here are some tried-and-true ways to create and maintain a routine that will help you (and your kids) thrive while also enjoying all summer has to offer.
Tip 1: Take an Inventory
If you’re just getting started or want to revamp your current routine, ask yourself these questions:
Which parts of your day/week are consistently the most stressful?
What things, when you do them, bring you the most peace?
What helps you feel prepared, accomplished, or ready for the day/week ahead?
This inventory allows you to build rhythms around your daily high and low points (think: accentuate the highs and build up the lows). For me, I know that if I start my morning off well, I am setting myself up to be more patient, to show up in the best way for myself and my kids, and ultimately, to have a better day. That looks like getting up before the kids to enjoy the peace and quiet, make a cup of coffee, read my devotion, and because it’ll be one of the first things my kids want when they get up, set out and fill up their drinks for the day.
Tip 2: Keep It Simple
Routines don’t have to include a bunch of steps or take a lot of time to be effective. The best routine is the one that you’ll be able to maintain, so err on the side of simple. Establish your core routine—anything else you do on the days you have extra time is then an added bonus, not a requirement.
The same goes for your summer activities. Fun doesn’t have to be elaborate or costly. Instead, try finding ways to make the activities you’re already doing frequently new and exciting, like adding bubbles, water balloons, or paint brushes to your kids’ water table or checking out a new-to-you park or trail for your family walks. You can also look for free events in your community, like summer festivals or community days, or discounted admission days to your local museums, water parks, or theme parks.
Tip 3: Stay Flexible
It’s easy to get caught up in our own plans for the day and get frustrated when things don’t go accordingly. As adults, we’re used to making accommodations for others, but as parents, we can get so focused on our own to-do list that we forget that our kids aren’t made to just fit into our schedules or plans. As a writer I love once said, “It’s their day, too.”
Try this fun experiment: ask your kid what they want to do that would make their day great and see what they say. Yes, sometimes it’ll be completely unfeasible. Many times though, the things that they get excited over are simple, like my son telling me it was the “best day ever” when he got to have a water gun fight in the backyard. By staying flexible and saying yes to their ideas when possible, we can create summer magic for our kids.
If you’re like me and are married to your routine, remember, it’s okay to break it every now and then. You and your kids will be fine if the usual schedule is a little off that day.
Tip 4: Know Your Limits
There are so many fun things to do during the summer that it can be easy to take on too much. While it’s important to be flexible, you also need to know yourself, your kids, and your limits. For me, that means sometimes saying no to things that don’t fit into our usual daily routine, primarily activities that coincide with the kids’ nap time, especially if they’ve already missed them for a day or two before that. It’s not fun to say no, but it’s also not fun to feel overwhelmed by your calendar or have kids melting down. If you’ve been going all week and your routine is out of whack, it might be beneficial to revisit your planner.
Tip 5: Plan Ahead
This brings us to our final tip—plan ahead. If you want to maintain a routine, it helps to plan out fun activities in advance. This ensures that (1) you don’t overextend yourself, (2) you pick things that work best with your established routines, and (3) you actually do the fun things rather than putting them off or feeling like you can’t because it doesn’t fit into your schedule.