Summer vacation has officially begun here in the Moore household. Although I am so excited for the lazy mornings and less planned activities, I’m also a little stressed about keeping my kids “busy.”
I want to start out by saying it is not my job to entertain my kids during the summer.
I’ll say it again for the moms in the back… it is not your job to entertain your kids this summer. Boredom can actually help develop skills, creativity and confidence. Children of all ages can benefit from occupying themselves. But once you get them going, let them soar and try not to hover. This also implements important skills like problem solving, flexibility and organization skills.
I recommend sitting down with your child and brainstorming a list for their specific interests and age of course. Once you have completed that, keep it in an area that your child can get to it at anytime.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
If you’re wanting to create a little DIY, check out this post for a free download to make a Boredom Buster jar so your children can pick one and they must do it!
Naturally, it will take a little while to get acclimated to the summer schedule, and that’s completely normal. Each family’s routine will look different, and this is just a starting off point for our family.
I believe in keeping a consistent bedtime schedule during summer days. Although I push back their bedtime to 9:00 pm for a weekly nighttime routine because my kids thrive on a consistent sleep schedule.
Summer vacation it a free for all, no bedtime, no set wake up time!
This schedule is a rough draft of what an ideal day looks like for my kids during the summer. I’ve built in some quiet time, and even though my kids don’t nap this could mean any type of free play in their rooms, door closed and quiet music.
If, for any reason there is some part of the schedule that doesn’t work I will gently make changes as I see fit.
Finally, I’m sharing an easy way to motivate your kids this summer to read and log it. Each book they read (at their level) can be recorded by coloring in a book. Once they complete two rows of books they can get a reward. This can be as simple as choosing the movie for movie night. Getting extra ipad time, or even sleep in mommy & daddy’s bed for a sleepover. If you want to splurge you can make the reward one item from 5 Below, or Dollar Tree. Sometimes I let them choose a sweet treat from Bahama Bucks or Ice Cream with a friend.
If your child needs a little more THIS reading log has more specific challenges.
