A Bowl Full of Lemons

Summer break is creeping up on us and with that comes a whole new set of routines & schedules.   During the school year, dinner becomes impossible many nights of the week, the chores “might” get done on Saturday and family time consists of a high five on the way to another soccer practice, piano lesson or basketball game. Sound familiar?  For our family, summer schedules are so much more  enjoyable. By creating a daily family routine, you are setting yourself up for a successful (and low stress) summer.  Create a daily routine that your family can follow on a regular basis.

DAILY ROUTINE

• Morning Routine
• Menu Planning 
• Daily Chores 
• Fun Time
• Family Dinner Time
• Bed Time Routine

MORNING ROUTINE 

• Make your bed as soon as you get up.
• Get dressed – Don’t forget to fix your hair and put on your make-up.  Be ready for what they day may bring. If you stay in your pj’s, you are less likely to leave the house or get anything done.  
• Fix a healthy breakfast.  Start the day off right by nourishing your kids bellies with wholesome food.  If they are fed well, they will have more energy to conquer the day.

MENU PLANNING 

• Prepare a weekly menu – Choose one day per week to create your family menu.  Then go shopping the next day.  My menu planning is on Sundays.
• Prep the meals the day before – Once you have your menu planned, prep the meals the day before (thaw out meat, make sure you have all of the ingredients, etc).
• Use some of these tips for your menu planning.
• Save time by using printables to plan your meals each week, like the “Menu Planning Mini Kit”  from A Bowl Full of Lemons.

DAILY CHORES

• Create a daily chore schedule for the kids & print out this free checklist for yourself.
• Tape daily chores to your kids bedroom door. As they complete each chore, have them cross it out. Don’t forget to check & make sure they are completed.
• Be consistent & follow through. Motivate them to complete the chores each day.

FUN TIME

Create a weekly calendar of activities – and stick to it!  Make summer fun for your kids.  Stick it on the fridge so they can see it. This will give them something to look forward to each day.  It doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  There are many free activities to do.  Don’t waste the summer away on your couch or on the computer.  Once everyone gets dressed, eat and finish up chores, then get out of the house and enjoy summer!

An example of a weekly summer calendar:

• MONDAYS: Bike ride & picnic at the park/playground
• TUESDAYS: Story time at the library
• WEDNESDAYS: Beach or pool
• THURSDAYS: Matinee Movie at the local theater (Check to see if your theater has $1 movie days).
• FRIDAYS: Become a “local tourist”.  Check out the museums, tours & attractions.  You’d be surprised at what your city has to offer.
• SATURDAYS: Family Fun day! Check out a baseball game, go canoeing, hiking, fishing or camping, or even spend the day at the mall.  Whatever it is, make sure it involves the entire family.
• SUNDAYS: Down time.  Recuperate from the fun filled week you just had & rest for another exciting week ahead.

The goal of a “weekly summer calendar” is to make memories!  🙂

FAMILY DINNER TIME

• Eat a home cooked family dinner at least 4-5 days per week.  During the school year, schedules can be so crazy that family dinners are sometimes out of the question.  Make it a point to eat together this summer. Make time!
• Involve all of the kids.  Have them help prepare the meals, set the table and clean up afterwards.
• Create meaningful conversations.  Get to know each other.  Ask how each others days went.  Leave the electronics out of the dining room.
• Don’t have time to cook every day?  Family dinners are not out of the question.  Utilize your slow cooker. 

BEDTIME ROUTINE

• Stick to a bedtime schedule & routine.  Your kids will thank you the next morning.
• Go to bed at a decent our (this includes you too).  Just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean the kids should stay up until midnight.  They still need a good nights sleep.
• Make sure to cut out the sugar and caffeine by dinnertime.
• Have a “5 minute pick up” time each night before bed.  Then when you wake up in the morning, you are not staring at a mess.  It helps the day go much smoother.  Throw dirty clothes into the laundry room, clean off the bathroom sink, and put things back where they go.
• Read to your children & have them read to you.  This is great bonding time & memories in the making.  It also helps them settle down and sleep better.

My Weekly Organizer is the perfect print out to organize your summer activities, meals, chores, and schedules.  Learn more about it here.

I hope you are able to take some of these tips to create a successful routine & schedule for your family.  Create memories and have a blast this summer!! If you’ve missed any posts in the series, you can visit them HERE.

Toni

Tags: routines, schedules, summer, summertime organizing
Blog, May 2014, Organize, Other Spaces, schedules, summer, summertime organizing Posted in 7 comments