We blinked and summer is here! The school year is almost over, and while it is an exciting season for most children, for some moms, it can be stressful regardless of their current occupation. If you have a 9-5 job or are a business owner, you might worry about finding the best childcare/camp options to make sure your children enjoy this time off from school. If you are home with your kiddos, you may be feeling (a self-imposed) pressure to make their vacation time memorable. Maybe you are wondering what you will do to keep them entertained, or anticipate feeling a bit lost since routines change or fall through the cracks of so much free time.
Whatever your current situation is, my heart behind this post is to bring peace, lightness, and encouragement about this season. A reminder that it’s not about the multiple things you do, nor the amount of money you spend. It’s not about the big trips, nor the best summer camps you can find for your child. It’s not about comparing your summer days/plans with those of other moms and feeling at a disadvantage.
My goal is to remind you that this summer, what matters the most is that you, as always, will do your best with the time and resources God gave you.
So how can you start putting some structure to the weeks to come, and wisely use what you have to bless your children this season? Let’s get into it.
1. What matters most? Ask your kiddos!
Something that keeps coming up in my day-to-day with my children is the simplicity of their joy. It doesn’t take much to make them happy. When did we, adults, start making it all so complicated and expensive?
Ask your children what they would like to do as a family this summer. Brainstorm with them and have them write down a list of activities and plans they would like to do. If you have trips planned, these can go in the list, as well as many other activities. Some may not even be “summer-centered” but are just easier to execute because the kids don’t have the pressure of school routines and responsibilities.
I did this with my kiddos, inspired by an Instagram account I follow (@athomewith.shannon). It was a very fun crafty project we enjoyed doing together. I was delighted to see things on our family list like movie nights, cook and bake with Mom, paint our rooms, roller blade, play board games, and dates with Mom and Dad, aside from exploring new beaches, pool time, nature trails, and more.
The point is that the simplest activities, done together, can make a lasting impression on their hearts. Time to play, read a book, cook, or do chores together. A few minutes to sit down and give them our undivided attention to listen to them.
Busy moms of all walks of life, please know: a few high-quality family experiences can be equally or even more impactful for our kiddos than the amount of activities or any big plans. These can be done during the day or over the weekends. Whatever works for the time you have.
2. Set Summer Goals for them
As my kids were writing down their summer bucket list, I realized I have goals for them and for myself.
So, I took the idea of the summer bucket list further by categorizing all items under four main priorities I have on my heart: 1) Things that will help us get closer to Jesus (spiritual/faith goals), 2) Activities that will strengthen our relationship with each other (Dad, Mom, and kids), 3) Enjoy our families (the grandparents, cousins, etc. that in our case live far from us), and 4) Fun things to do with friends. The first two are my absolute priorities. Having this clarity will elevate my summer from a regular vacation time to a purposeful, special season. Defining a couple of high-level goals will allow you to be more intentional and purposeful as you plan and bring to life any activities.
Aside from faith or family and friend-related goals, you probably have academic, music, or sports-centric objectives you would like to establish for your kiddos. The summer is a great opportunity for them to invest time developing or strengthening specific skills. For this, Miami Mom Collective put together a fantastic summer camp guide with tips to choose the best option for your children. There are many options from very specific academically-focused camps, to sports training programs, science, arts, cooking, and many more. Check it out here!
3. Establish Summer Goals for You
I love thinking about the areas in my life I want to work on for my own growth. I love dedicating time to plan what I want to read, study, and learn. Whether you have a job outside the home or work serving your family full-time, the summer is a good season to establish personal (achievable) goals and be intentional to work towards them.
One of my goals is to finish a Bible study I started a while ago and complete a new one. I’m enjoying Never Alone, from Jennie Cunnion (Parenting in the Power of the Holy Spirit). An amazing, encouraging study to remember that we are not God and that we need to rely on Him to do the work in our children’s hearts.
I’ve started working toward a new fitness goal and plan to continue to train over the summer. And I want to learn to make pasta from scratch, and bread. For this last one, I’m leaning on my mom friend and Miami Mom Collective Managing Editor Lynda Lantz. She recently shared baking tips she has learned as she gets better at making baked goods for her family and friends.
4. Family rhythms will change, so create a new base structure for your days
Moms, routines and priorities are important. Flexibility, too, of course. But creating a basic structure for our days brings peace and calm to the beautiful chaos that is raising our children. I shared this in corporate principles for home life and routines. There has to be a base plan, even if we change it. This works beautifully for working moms to make the most of their time, and for moms at home, as time can fly by and make us feel unproductive and disorganized if we end up improvising every day.
To start, take a look at your current routines. See what will change for you when your kids finish school, considering new traffic patterns, camp schedules, extra-curricular activities, vacation trips, etc.
Moms who stay with their children all summer
If you will have less time for yourself because they will stay home, you might want to consider waking up a bit earlier to get some things done for yourself. Also, see if there are any simple daily activities they can do on their own (like reading). These will give you extra time to do something you need to do for yourself, any housework, or a project you are working on.
Moms working outside the home or from home
You might want to take a look at your work calendar and plan in advance the days you want to take off to be with your children and/or do things for yourself. Some companies offer summer Fridays. I used to enjoy these and take the morning (1/2 day) off to be free since Thursday evening, and extend my weekends. Some weeks (when I knew work would be slower), I would take 1/2 days off all week, so I could be with my children every afternoon for a week. There are many ways to be creative when your time is limited. Talk to your manager ahead of time and keep in mind: quality over quantity. There are many simple, fun things you can plan to do with your kids around your work schedule that will remain in their hearts and memory forever.
Ideas for the days when children stay at home
Here are some ideas I’m applying with my elementary school-aged children (one already showing signs of preteenagehood!) and my preschooler.
- Books to unlock screens. Everyone needs to read a chapter in the Bible and a book before doing anything else. This also works for them to unlock screens in the afternoon. Reading is essential for kids’ development and growth. This is something our kids actually enjoy, even when we have to enforce it sometimes. According to Scholastic’s recent Summer Reading Report, kids of different ages enjoy summer reading when they can choose their books and read whatever and whenever they want (70%), and to have an enjoyable way to pass the time (53%). Don’t have books? Public library branches provide great resources and the opportunity to borrow books. My kids love it because they have their own library cards and choose the books they’ll bring home.
- Veggies and fruits during the week to unlock sweets for the weekend. This one works year-round in my household, but especially in the summer. It is easy and comfortable to live in vacation mode and fall into the trap of eating sugar and ultra-processed foods for comfort and fun. But it is important to continue to fuel our bodies with high-quality foods. Tons of fruits and veggies already washed, cut, and ready to eat for everyone to grab from the pantry or fridge.
- Chores. This one also works throughout the year, but it picks up in the summer because the kids have more time. Also, it provides an opportunity to teach the kids new skills. It’s part of the bittersweet process of equipping them to become more independent as they continue to grow. Kids enjoy feeling productive and helpful in the house, aside from the sense of accomplishment when they get money for their work. According to a study from Harvard, “shared responsibilities help children develop greater self-worth, confidence, work ethic, and empathy for others.” My kids are learning to make their own breakfast (which gives me a bit of extra time for other things), bake, serve themselves fruits and other healthy snacks, vacuum (the most popular in my house, people fight to get the chance to vacuum. If they knew…), wash dishes, do laundry, etc.
- Free time to play, enjoy a hobby, or be creative. This is my time to do stuff around the house. It is also the unstructured part of the day for them, which is healthy and important for developing creativity. Because I try to keep this space screen free, I like to create opportunities for boredom. It’s fascinating to see them create, come up with ideas to play together, make pillow forts in the living room, draw, prepare shows for stuffed animals, make science experiments, and try new things. Time is a gift!
- Devotional time first. I have tried different times of the day to study the Word of God with my children. I have found that the best time is the morning, during breakfast. Their minds are fresh, moods are mostly positive, and I have the energy, clarity, and drive to dive into a topic, a story, or a specific chapter/book (and the patience to answer a million questions). There are many summer resources and simple biblical curricula available. One that MMC founder and CEO is doing with her children is called Bible Bee. Their summer program to memorize scripture looks amazing! Since this is one of my goals for my family, I’m considering getting it for the summer.
- Water! Beach and pool are our number #1, top plan. When it comes to going to the beach, I pack light. I make sure I’m loaded with good snacks, and off we go. I like it when we take the whole gear (only when my husband comes with us). But when I go by myself with the kids, I try to make my life easier. Less is more. No chairs, no heavy stuff. I have enjoyed the beach with my kids summer after summer, with or without Daddy, with or without friends. We just love breathing salty air, playing in the sand, and getting in the water. My favorite beach with clear and calm waters, parking, restaurant, and outdoor showers is El Farito Beach on Key Biscayne.
A light but structured summer really is the best! Thanks for helping moms like me—who aren’t the best at organizing our time—make summer more intentional and fun with the kiddos!