Hi friends! How are you enjoying the summer season?

We just finished talking about summer season and some affordable ideas you could engage your family in to get the best of the season.  My son went to some daily summer camp, practiced some tennis and started learning how to swim. And, we also did quite some summer songs and lots of activities.

However, there is another important issue we also need to talk about.

What could that be, you may ask?

Well, it’s nothing more than the importance of having a routine while it is summer time.

Especially now that we’re reaching the end of holidays.

As a mother, during summer months I’m always tempted to just relax and enjoy the summer with my family with no care in the world. I just feel like allowing my child enjoy himself to his fill without any limitation.

While this thought is very inviting, there is a problem with it. If I indulge my child now, then at the end of the summer, I will have ruined any routine he might have had before.

This led me to see the importance of having a routine or a schedule. With that being said, are you about to make the same mistake with your kids?

Here are reasons you should set up a routine for your kids during summer:

Helps them glide back into the school routine

Very soon, summer will say goodbye to us and we will have to face our usual routine when fall comes. This routine most times involves getting them back to school. So it means getting them to go to bed on time so they can wake up on time.

There are just so many benefits to having a routine while on summer holidays.

So, while you are enjoying your summer time, do not forget to maintain bedtime. Also, during the weekdays, make sure that they do some learning in the morning, even with creative activities.  Mornings are preferable since they are used to learning at such time while in school. That way, when school resumes, they will not have a hard time adjusting.

Allows you to get a lot done

I have realized that when I have a routine of how the day should go, especially during summer time, that I actually get a lot done by the end of the day. For instance, in the chart of activities, I state what should be done for every hour. I will usually state bathing, dressing and eating breakfast as the first thing on the list.
Then, I usually fix some learning on weekdays and any fun activities. And then we will have lunch and work on house chores (helping out with the dishes, picking up toys, making the bed, etc).

Then there is free time for my child to do anything he likes. Also, sometimes he’ll get to watch a kid-friendly movie. And then it’s dinner time after which he gets ready for bed.

You can set up different routine/schedule for each of your child that pertains to their age.

You see, when I follow this routine, I find that I achieve a lot in the day than if I didn’t have a routine or schedule in the first place. And the best part? I will be left with a lot of free time to indulge in whatever I fancy. My summer months are more organized this way.

Keeps you organized even when on vacation

If you intend going on a summer vacation with the kids, you will find that having a routine will help keep you organized. It’s so easy to get carried away with the beauty of the place you visited for the vacation, if you do not have a plan beforehand. But with a functional routine in place, you will be able to get your kids to stick to what they are already used to and should be doing while still enjoying their vacation.

What I do is that I maintain the routine I stated earlier.  But then in the place of fun activities, I write down options of fun places to visit for my child to make his choice. My boy is almost 5 and already knows the importance of good behavior. When he does what’s expected, he can enjoy the things he loves to do.

So, with that, he’s usually willing to do what he’s supposed to, like brushing his teeth, getting dressed up and making his bed (although I end up helping out when he’s done). Then he can enjoy his other fun activities scheduled for the day.

Gives the kids an opportunity to learn something new

Learning something new could mean learning how to play the guitar or football.  Or maybe enrolling in summer school to get prepared for the next class. While this should not be a daily occurrence, it helps to know that your child was able to learn something new during summer time.

Tips/checklist to make your summer routine fun

While it is important that you have a routine in place for the kids, don’t forget to make them part of the planning process. Kids follow through with a routine when they are made part of it and understand the importance of sticking to the routine.

Here are some tips to get them involved in the planning process:

• Get their opinion on what they would like to do for summer and use it in setting up the fun activities section of the chart
• Get books that are related to their interest or the destination you are headed to
• Let them color the chart
• Get them to share in the reading routine during bedtime (good idea for summer camp)

Sticking to a routine during your summer can help you retain some sanity while allowing your kids have all the fun in the world. But, even with the best laid out plans, there are bound to be some slips here are there. No need beating yourself up about it. Let it slide and decide to do better tomorrow. Don’t let summertime sadness catch up with your lovely summer.

The idea is to make the summer time routine fun so that everyone will enjoy it without it feeling like a chore.

Time for me to get back to my summer songs and summer quotes 🙂

Have an enjoyable end of summer vacation!

Need more tips on creating routines? Read Guest Post: How To Get Everything Done as a Mom.

What tips do you have to get kids ready for back-to-school? Share them in the comments!

Like this? Pin it!