Summer is this great opportunity to slow down a little, turn off the alarms, take a break from packing lunches and doing homework and have a little more time at home together. And all of that slow is really great until it isn’t and the kids start saying they’re bored, spending too much time on screens, start fighting with their siblings and eating you out of house and home. WHAT’S A MAMA TO DO? We’ve got ideas for you!
Check out some of our favorite loose summer schedule ideas and see what works for you:
Before screens list
To help the kids do some healthy things before they jump on screens, try one of these checklists:
I’M BORED JAR
When our kids are bored, they often look to us to fix their problem which can be very frustrating because, as mamas, we would probably love to be bored. Fix the I’m bored problem with this jar. Use popsicle sticks or pieces of paper to fill the jar. The kids can brainstorm what to put in the jar and you can add some that help you out (water the plants, get trash out of the car) and help their brains (write 5 math problems, practice vocabulary words).
SIMPLE DAILY LIST FOR TEENS
Our teens can get caught in the summer rut, too but they don’t need (or want) as much hand holding as the littles do. This simple list can be a good daily checklist for a teen.
- Do something for yourself (exercise, read, go for a walk)
- Do something for the family (household chore, help a family member)
- Do something for God (read the Bible, pray, journal)
THEME DAYS
It may be helpful for you and the family to know what to expect each day and give all of you something to look forward to and some purpose for the day. You can pick to have a theme for each day or just have ONE DAY per week that is on theme. See a few theme day ideas and blank templates below. You can click on the image to get the printable.
