Summer Rhythms: How I’m Trying to Approach This Summer

I’ve read about 5 million Summer Bucket Lists. They are so pretty. Their check boxes are a siren song pulling me toward them. I’ve started and scrapped many schedules that have our days planned out. I love a plan and I love lists, but real life always gets in the way.

I’ve figured out that what I need is a summer plan that serves our family- not a summer plan that I serve.

I think you can probably relate. Here’s a little “behind the curtain” look at how I’m approaching this summer with intention.

Ask Yourself, “What Are The Most Important Things I Want to Accomplish This Summer?”

Pull out a piece of paper and make some notes. What are some things you would be super disappointed about if you didn’t accomplish them this summer? What do you really need? What do your kids need? This is also a great time to revisit your goals for the year. You probably need to ditch some of them or change them a little. But concentrate on the next 86 days. Make your list.

5 Tips For Your Best Summer

Schedule The Stuff That Is Most Important First.

This is a big rocks sort of thing. If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never find space for them later. The things that need extra planning or saved up pennies are going to need a plan early on to make them happen. This isn’t for everything on your list. It’s just for the things you would be devastated if they didn’t happen or require work to accomplish them.

Designate A Block of Time as Uninterruptible.

There are some fun summer schedules you can find on pinterest. Some of them designate certain days for certain activities. That works for some people, but for us, I would rather leave some flexibility in our schedule to meet up with friends who call at the last minute or to take advantage of beautiful weather for pool time.

For our family, I’m claiming the first 3 hours of the day as a time for coaching my kids in certain things I really want to teach them this summer: helping them establish daily time in the Bible & prayer, teaching them how to do the all the chores around the house (preparing them to be productive members of society!), and keeping them away from screens and promoting reading fabulous books.

These are things that, if I don’t specifically work on them, they won’t happen. Kids will come to the door and ask to play, we’ll go to the park or the pool or we’ll get caught up in something that is more interesting.

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Only Schedule A Couple Of Days At A Time.

This is for the smaller rocks. Go low tech or high tech. This is what I do:

1)Check the weather. If it’s nice plan to do some things outside as much as possible. (this may be due to the fact that I grew up on MN and still fear that winter will return at any moment).

2)Choose something that meets the needs of you and your kids right now. Are your kids tired? Choose something low-key on your list. A trip to the park. A redbox movie rental. If we’re up for something bigger, I choose something that fits the weather and our time constraints.

Keep It Simple.

The more complicated your summer plan, the more likely it will crash and burn. We need sustainable routines that work with the stage of life we’re in right now.

What do you think? Tell me about your summer plans!

 

2 thoughts on “Summer Rhythms: How I’m Trying to Approach This Summer

  1. We are a few week in and I’m still struggling to find a flow to our summer days. This post is so helpful. I love the uninterrupted time suggestion! Thanks so much Amy!

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