Tips for Creating a Successful Summer Schedule for You and Your Kids
At the beginning of last summer I was struggling with starting and being consistent with a summer schedule. It seemed like I was always saying yes to screen time, and no one knew what to do when the TV turned off. There was chaos and frustration all around.
After talking with a children’s therapist, she gave me some tips to implement that made the remainder of our summer so much smoother. Here are some of her tips, as well as things that worked in our family last year, and what I am definitely implementing again this year. (For reference, my kids were 8, 5, and 6 months last summer)
Write out a schedule and keep it visible.
This was her most important tip. Figure out how you want your days to look, and make sure to include planned outings (swim lessons, sports camp, family outings), quiet time, and even screen time if you want to include it. Once you have it written down, place it prominently in your home! Having it visible helps reduce the neverending questions - When can we watch TV? When is snack time? What do we do now? Just point them to the schedule and they’ll have their answer.
If you become out of sync with your schedule for whatever reason (vacation, trips, life) just pick up at whatever time it is. Your morning might be off schedule, but you don’t need to wait till the next day to try again. Just continue on in the schedule whatever time it is.
Plan at least one day where you go out of the house.
For our family this is Friday, and we almost always go to the beach. There are some beaches I go to often because it’s kid friendly (safe, clean water and sand, etc.) but I also use this time to visit beaches in new-to-us areas. This could also be a weekly trip to your local library for storytime or to check out new books. Knowing that you’re going to have regular outings gives everyone something to look forward to each week.
Create a reward system for reading.
I like to incentivize reading, both for their required reading and fun reading. This summer, I am designating a “reading hour” during the afternoon, and I will pay them for how much they read. For my 6 year old, I am going to pay him by the book, and for my 9 year old, by the page. This will include reading to their baby brother, which has the side benefits of brother bonding time and more language exposure for my 1 year old. Win-win-win!
While not everyone would agree with the idea of paying kids to read, I know that my kids will be motivated by this, and I am most concerned about them reaping the benefits of reading. I want to do whatever I can do to make it more motivating for them. You can come up with different rewards (or no rewards if you’re not comfortable with that), but definitely try to include some consistent reading opportunities for them.
For reference, I am planning on paying $0.10 per book for my 6 year old, and $0.01 per page for my 9 year old, which would mean for a 200 page book he would earn $2.00. It won’t break the bank but is a consistent way for them to earn a little bit of money.
Utilize Libby for audiobooks.
Speaking of making reading FUN, audiobooks are an amazing resource and are a lifesaver for me, especially in the summer. My kids listen to audiobooks all morning as they play, draw, straighten up, and basically anything else. You can add your library card to the Libby app and check out up to 10 audiobooks at a time. I like to stream it through the Echo dot in their room. This is such a great way to add in some extra reading time, and the benefits of audiobooks are undeniable. They don’t need to be quietly listening to it to still be exposed to new vocabulary and practice their comprehension.
If you don’t already have a library card, you’re missing out on SO many free resources! It takes 10 minutes to sign up, and then you’re all set!
Limit screen time - and keep alternate activities handy.
Research currently says that kids should be limited in their screen time to no more than 2 hours a day; the child therapist recommends no more than 30 minutes a day. One thing that can help reduce screen time is to delegate it to a certain part of the day. For our family, that was after lunch for a limited time.
One thing that makes limiting screen time hard is that kids usually feel lost afterwards; they’re dysregulated and all of a sudden they don’t have any other interests or hobbies. I like to suggest two or three options to get them started - to clean their room (they almost never pick this one), draw/color, or play outside.
Keep them physically active.
It is hard to keep them active in the summer, especially when it’s so hot outside, but kids are used to getting a lot of exercise at school, and when their bodies aren’t able to expend that natural energy, they end up with a lot of pent-up energy (which for my boys means roughhousing). Get them involved in a sport or martial art; go on a morning walk; visit new parks; do kid-friendly exercise videos on YouTube. Everyone will be happier being active.
You can also enroll them in summer camp at KCS where they will have tons of opportunities to stay active mentally and physically. For more info, visit the school office.
If you struggle with the summer schedule, you’re definitely not alone. Hopefully you’re able to incorporate some of these tips for the smoothest summer yet! If you have MORE tips, or something that worked for you, please share! We’re all in this together.
