Ahh…summer time…and the livins’ easy.
Well…maybe not if you have littles running around your house.
Without the familiarity of a school year routine, Summer can end up being more hectic than the rest of the year with kids (and moms) vacillating between “I’m bored” and “I’m totally exhausted from the days adventure.”
Although summer in our house can be a bit lazier, there are still things that we want to do as a family, things that need to get done, and things this mama needs to keep her business and her sanity in tack despite a different schedule.
In summers past, we have always created a summer bucket list of outing and activities we wanted to do as a family. This summer, however, my kids have more time off from school (no more year round preschool!) and my growing business needs attention too!
I knew we needed a more robust plan that would make sure everyone’s needs are met, while still embracing the lazy, easy livin’ summer days we crave.
Here are three of the ways I created a summer plan that we all could enjoy.
Create a Summer Theme
Creating a theme gives you a big ‘box’ to draw from for your summer activities. Want your summer to be all about learning? Then you can plan trips to the museum, and library, or starting a science experiment board on pinterest? If your summer is about the great outdoors, you can fill your days hiking, on camping trips to the beach or exploring like a tourist in your own town.
A theme doesn’t mean you can only do summer activates that fit that theme, but it helps give you a framework from which to plan and helps you from feeling like you have to do everything.
Create a resource document
This year I took our summer bucket list to the next level by actually turning the list into a resource document. I not only listed what we wanted to do, but also listed the hours, admission prices, and contact information all to one place.
This way we don’t end up at the children’s museum the one day of the week it’s closed or waste time scrambling to figure out when that’s cool free program at the library actually happens. This year, it’s all in one place.
While I was at it, I pulled together all the sitters’ numbers into one place, along with when they are available. I also rounded up the coupons and passes I have acquired so I don’t forget I bought a Groupon for the pool back in February and we have a free round of bowling from a birthday party goodie bag.
Get a Broad Overview of Your Weeks of Summer
If you summer is like ours, each week is a little bit different. Some weeks my kids are at camp and other weeks they are home with me. We have relatives visiting some weeks, and are on our own others. Knowing how much ‘free time’ we have each week helps me plan out which of our summer bucket list items will fit where. For example, heading to the local amusement park is going to be an all day affair and since we’ll all be wiped out afterwards, I even want to plan it for a day we have the next day to be lazy as well. Making rice crispy treats will be a perfect afternoon activity after a morning of swim lessons or a trip to the library.
As a work at home mom entrepreneur, planning my weeks also allows me to see which weeks I’ll be able to focus on work (while the kids are at camp or with the grandparents) and the weeks I’ll be focused on family adventures. And since I need (and want) to work a little bit even on those family focused weeks, I can also plan if I need to get up earlier, hire a sitter for a few hours one morning or have a movie planned for an afternoon after we return from that days adventure.
So far, I have found that everyone loves the summer plan. My kids love knowing when we are going to see their cousins and are more understanding of an hour I need to work if they know we are heading to the pool later in the day.
Take a few minutes to sit down and plan out your summer, so you can enjoy your kids, your family, your alone time and truly spend this summer livin’ easy.
If you would like more help planning your summer, download my free guide, How Not To {Summer} Break Your Business. Even if you are not a mom business owner, the 10 steps outlined in this guide will help you plan a summer full of fun for your kids and make sure your important activities don’t end up on summer break as well! You can download the free guide at www.meganflatt.com/summerbreak
Megan Flatt is a business consultant and time management strategist for busy moms who are ready to build their own dream business while being actively present in the day-to-day lives of their kids and families. She has devoted most of her life to the pursuit of the perfect to-do list and the perfect vanilla latte. You can learn more about her and her services at meganflatt.com