The school year is wrapping up and summer schedules are right around the corner. Take the time to be intentional about how you want your summer to flow this year. A little forethought can make a big difference for you and your family. These three tips are essentials to make sure your summer starts off on an intentional note.
Summer should be full of special activities, sprinkled with a little purpose for maximum fulfillment.
Wrap up the school year completely
It’s tempting to put all the school papers and awards in a bin and tuck it away to deal with another day. Commit to take a day to sort and purge through papers, backpacks, and all the miscellaneous items they dragged home. This includes any homework stations or areas in the house that are used for school year activities. Keep the papers that represent the milestones of that year in memory boxes, stored by year for each child. Purge the backpack of knickknacks and create a home for the items that need to be kept.
It’s so easy to want to ignore the paper and jump into summer, but it will feel so worth the effort when you have the school year wrapped up completely!
Create a schedule for the summer
Summer time can be challenging because there is no routine and schedule. As glorious as it is to not have to get the kids all out the door by 7:30am, the children (and you) can still benefit from a little routine. Decide what structure — loose or tight — will look like in your summer weeks ahead. It’s beneficial to lay out the schedule so everyone can see it. For example, assign days for chores and household duties; days for outings to the waterpark; household projects you hope to accomplish; etc. You don’t have to be regimented every day, but having items on a calendar and a purpose to your weeks, can ensure that summer doesn’t fly by without fitting in all that you hoped to accomplish. I’ve learned from years of experience that people — kids and adults –function better when they have a little structure to their days!
Create a calendar for everyone to see! When I was a child, my mom would color code the calendar by child to keep activities straight. Do what’s best for your learning style and your family’s way of life!
Commit to one household project
The summer is a great time to tackle an outdoor or household project. Don’t commit to multiple projects, but ONE that you can get completed from start to finish. If you get additional projects completed, then that’s a bonus! Projects such as purging the garage, an outdoor shed, basement storage, or converting boxes of photos. Enlist the kids to help or assign them their own project. Start by creating a plan, put the project on your calendar, and commit to getting it done this summer. It’s amazing how much better summer play feels when you’ve spent time working to improve a space on your property!
Complete one project this summer from start to finish to improve your space or preserve your household.
There are many ways to orchestrate a fulfilling summer, but these three items are key ways to have a little structure and progress, wrapped around the pool parties and days in the sunshine.
Commit to a summer of excitement and purpose, starting today!
Need support this summer conquering a project? Contact Michelle, organizer and coach, to have her guidance to complete the process from start to finish! Learn more about services here.
