Setting Up Summertime
One year, I decided that since my children had had such a structured life all throughout the school year, they needed a break from it during the summer. I left them alone to do what they chose. For a day or two, the children enjoyed the freedom, but soon, they were complaining of being bored, and they actually began quarreling with each other. It was when I added structure back into their day that my usually good-natured kids were back to normal. They thrived under a loose schedule, with their day planned out. Yes, a couple of hours of free time were welcomed by all, but they liked having a plan for their day.
I planned a time for the morning routine of getting ready, then everyone pitched in to do some cleaning. From there, they did the daily activity/outing, lunchtime, and quiet time for an hour to read or nap. Afternoons were free time and time for reach personal goals, then swimming when Daddy got home. It worked. Our kids had things to do and knew what was coming up.
Ideas Families have Tried:
1. A Daily Start-up—
Most children love the security a routine provides. Setting up a routine for your summer days may be just the ticket to a happy summer, as it was to mine. Make sure it is not too tightly set in stone, but a loose schedule that tells everyone what to expect in the mornings, middy, afternoon and evening of each day. Rather than setting times for things, I have found that setting the order of activities is better. That way, if anything intruded on our day, we could just pick up and get back to it just fine.
When my kids were little, I wrote a little jingle for our morning routine. I called the plan the “Great New Day.” I drew simple pictures on a chart to illustrate each step for the non-reading children to learn. Some of my children enjoyed their own set of 3×5 cards that were held together by a ring at the top corner, with a stick-figure picture of each step in the routine on a different card. They could flip through them as they did them. I included in the Great New Day poem the things I wanted my children to do, while keeping it as simple as possible. I also put in some fun items such as giving me a hug (I called that one “the important one”), as well as a stretch on the rhyming at the end, that gave my kids a laugh:
“One, wake up; Morning prayer
Two, get dressed; Jammies away
“Three, make bed; Fix my hair
“Four, set for a Great New Day!
“A, dishes over
B, hug my Ma
C, do my chores
D, practice Pian-ah!”
(I set this to a little non-descript tune, but it would work as a poem alone too!)
As my kids have grown older, the Great New Day still works. It is especially helpful when there are distractions that come up, and the kids need to get back on track, to get the important morning things done. (I use it myself on some of “those days!”)
I had one grown-up daughter comment to me how much she had treasured her ringed Great New Day cards as a little girl!
Another of my grown daughters, after teaching her kids the Great New Day poem, made up a Great New Night jingle for her young family:
“One, Jump up; Jammies On
Two, Brush teeth; To the bathroom All Right!
Three, Say prayers: Kiss Mom and Dad
Four, Set for, a Great New Night!”
Another year, my school age kids needed something to look forward to and to help prevent boredom through the summer. I set up a day of the week schedule for them (for doing after Great New Days).
Monday was Piano lesson day, and with more time in the summer, they could learn more fun songs and more theory than during the year. It was good to get that taken care of early in the week as well.
Tuesday was Friends day, the day they could plan to invite friends over to for a water fight or army men or games, or got to play at their houses.
Wednesday was Library day, which was more fun with a Summer Reading challenge. In fact, on the way to the library, the older kids read to the non-readers to help them meet their reading goals. When enthusiasm for the library waned among the older ones, I added a treat or a carwash or something cool for on the way home.
Thursday was Service day. We watched for service we could do during the week. Sometimes this required that I make a phone call or two. We weeded Grandma’s flower bed. We picked fruit or picked up trash at a vacant lot or at the church parking lot. One time my neighbor told us we could help scrape some mud balls off her back fence.
Friday was the day they could play a timed stretch of computer games and watch a movie.
Saturday was the day to get the work done before Sunday.
Having a separate thing planned each day helped everyone fit in regularly what they wanted to do through the summer. And have something different to look forward to each day.
2. Friends Day—
My friend found that the neighborhood kids were over to her house at all hours of the day and night! She couldn’t plan to do anything with her kids because they would drop everything when the doorbell rang. She began to tell each friend that her kids were available after 2:00pm. That was free time at her house, and the kids were free to play then. She did specify to her kids that they switch houses every other time, first their home, then the next time the friend’s home. They kept track so that neither family would be overwhelmed.
At our house, since we had some fun outings planned and swimming lesson too, we decided at the beginning of the summer that friends were welcomed one day a week all day. Other days we might make an exception, but our own plans were priority. That way, everyone could plan a wonderful play date with a good friend ahead of time, on their Friends Day.
3. Stimulate Young Minds—
Summer is a great time for puzzles, card games, mind games, and all kinds of games. It is a great time to build something with hammer and nails or with an erector set from the thrift store. We could get forgotten belongings down from the closet shelves and help our kids get started. Then, they can run with it!
A certain social engineer set out to find out why some kids often fall behind in school. His research showed that these children are just as smart as the achievers, but that during the summer months, they often slip behind due to lack of stimulation. Sometimes, they do not quite catch up.
Summer is a great time to stimulate young students to learn in different ways than at school! To stretch their brains with new experiences. A child that tries fishing or bowling or a drive through a different state—or reads about these things—will have horizons broadened. Their young brains will stay exercised. Board games can teach them money or other skills, as well as setting up a lemonade stand or a savings account at the bank. Writing letter to a pen pal, or staying in a different city with a relative for a stretch can fuel some different types of growth. Libraries often have fun workshops or shows about all kinds of things. It takes some effort, but pays in the long run.
Of course, reading is a key to a great summer. (See: “Get ‘Em Hooked on Loving Books” post)
4. Screen time—
We all know the detriments of too much screen time. Decide as a couple, then as a family how much screen time you will allow each week and when. Stick to it. If someone forgets, they can try again next week. Replace screen time with something fun, like a family game of Capture the Flag, Red Rover, Speed, or Kick the Can. Sing favorite songs at the piano. Dance across the family room to upbeat music. Consider buying a Summer Swim pass.
One year, just before school was our for the summer, we got together and decided as a family that we didn’t want to get into the habit of watching a lot of TV all summer. Together, we decided to turn the TV set to face the wall for the first one or two weeks of summer vacation. Everyone agreed on it, so we’d get out of the habit of turning it on. Sure enough, the kids found other things to occupy their time, including a puzzle set out on a car table. Mark fashioned a cardboard lid for the table, to cover it whenever we needed the card table for a different use, or to protect it from little ones. With the puzzle accessible, anyone could take a spare minute or ten to find a few pieces that fit! When finished, if we really liked the picture, we could glue the puzzle pieces together and hang it on the wall!
The kids also got out games, did some dress up and cooking, set up army men and made lego creations. It was fun to remember old favorites that there had been little time for, during the year.
Another summer, we chose a different kind of uplifting screen time! I remembered how touched my older children had been from the special church movies, such a Legacy, The Testaments, and Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration. We had made a point to watch each of these as they came out on the huge screen when we were in Salt Lake City, and the experience had been life changing. Though the movies were accessible to my younger ones, I wanted them to also feel the Spirit profoundly from them. So that summer, I planned a certain day of the week to take them to watch a movie at our nearby Temple Visitor Center. It was cool inside, the screens were large, the Spirit was strong, and the children could have a choice experience and a testimony builder.
5. One-on-One time—
As yet another summer approached, I felt like I needed to be better in tune with each of my children’s needs. I decided to schedule some one-on-one time with each child, so I gave each child a day of the week. During free time that day, I planned something with the one whose day it was that day. It could be a board game together just us two, or an outing for a treat or a dollar store item, or an errand for a much-needed item of clothing (for example, Sunday pants that with a growth spurt, had become too short!). Some days, it was just an errand I had to get done, such as buying a certain birthday gift. Or maybe we just would take a drive together. I was able to have some great conversations and form some good connections during the private time together that summer.
My Favorite Idea:
6. Goals and Earnings—
At the beginning of each summer, each of my children set a goal or tow of what they want to accomplish during the upcoming summer. We brainstorm ideas. For some, it is one thing they will do daily, such as an online class or to learn cursive or keyboarding. For others, it is several things that they can choose from each day, such as work on merit badges, practice basketball, or do calisthenics. Some choose to get better on an instrument. In fact, one of my kids decided to switch instruments over the summer, so he taught himself to play the cello! Another son borrowed Grandmother’s Shorthand book, since he wanted to learn shorthand!
After these goals are in place, I make a chart with a box for each day of the summer for them to keep track. Two marks can be recorded in each box, one for accomplishing their goal that day, and the other one for their daily chores. These include their practicing and taking care of their clothes, as well as, regular chores and hygiene. (In short, their “Great New Day”) At the beginning of the summer, in June, the daily chores must be done by 10:00am to count in July it must be by 9am; and in August it must by 8am, thus moving their morning routine earlier in time for a new school year!
For each mark, our children earn one dollar, so there is the possibility of earning $2 per day, or $10 per week. (Some years we have allowed more goals for more dollars for the older kids, since they need to earn more for more expensive clothes). However, this money is not given to them yet. At the end of the summer, they receive this money on the first day we go out to shop for school clothes and supplies! It is money that I would have spent on school clothes anyway, but this way, they get to manage their own earned money. It is given them in an envelope to spend wisely. (I keep the younger kids’ envelopes in my purse, of course.)
The beauty of this plan is that they get better each year at foreseeing the end of the summer reckoning. “If I make sure I get my $2 earned every day,” they realize more and more, “I’ll have more to spend on my school stuff!” The other thing is that by managing their own, they make the tough decisions: “Do I really need a new backpack this year? Or should I use the money for another pair of jeans?” “I really want this special lunchbox, so maybe I’ll make last year’s notebook do another year.” Or, “These shirts are several dollars less, and I like them just fine. I won’t buy the expensive ones since I don’t want to run out of money so fast!”
If anyone is not able to buy all the needed items, they can keep earning each day for as long as necessary. Usually, I buy the items, and they can earn the money by continuing their summer goals and chores til they get the item!
7. Spring (Summer) Cleaning—
Extra deep cleaning can be something that the whole family does, just a little piece at a time. We like to do ours in the summertime. I have found that if we organize the game closet, kids find old favorite games they forgot about! Then, an afternoon is filled with a fun activity! If we clean out drawers, there might be a few treasures deep down. And if we can hose off something dusty, it makes for a fun summer water fight! Kids may grumble about the work to do, but less so if I keep it a small piece and after it’s done, we all love it when things are sparkling clean and organized! (Especially if I remind us that we do!) See also: “Spiff Up Simply” post!
8. Young Chefs—
One last thing about summer. It’s a great time to let kids do some experimenting and learning in the kitchen. All kinds of chemistry happens in the kitchen!
One year, we let each of our kids pick a day of the week that they would cook dinner! When I planned my grocery shopping list, they got to pick the menu item for that day, so that I could buy the ingredients. It was fun to pick something and then to make it! They learned to read a recipe and some basic measuring and cooking skills. One son of mine in particular loved looking up exotic recipes online and trying them! Also, my kids learned to be thankful to me for my efforts to cook meals each day. They learned that cooking a dinner that turns out is not always easy, and sometimes things go wrong. They were less likely to complain about the food!
See also: Specially for Summer post