We all want to make the most of the summer holidays and have a great time with our kids. But coming up with ideas and finding a healthy balance between keeping the kids entertained and doing too much can be tricky. Just how do you have a great time without hitting burnout or breaking the bank? To find the answer, I reached out to some of my fellow blogging buddies for their top tips on how to make the most of summer. And over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing what they had to say. From being more intentional with your time to summer schedules, bucket lists and ideas of what to do, you’ll find everything you need to make this summer your BEST summer yet!
To kick things off, this post is all about why we should be more intentional about the time we have together and a few ways to make it happen. If you want to make the most of summer and not let the days slip you by, keep reading!
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How to make the most of summer…
How many times have you started off the school holidays with great intentions of all the things you want to do, only to wonder where your summer went? It’s definitely happened to me. I’d have all these great ideas of all the things I wanted to do but for whatever reason, they’d never happen. My days would merge into one and slip me by. And before I knew it, my youngest would be heading back to school again!
But not this year. This year I want to make the most of summer. I want to be more intentional about my time. I want to make the most of the days I have with my youngest and actually have quality time with him. If you want to do the same too but aren’t sure where to start, here are some great tips from my fellow blogging buddies. Like us, they don’t want their days to slip them by either.
On making things happen, Amy from STARTING PARENTING OVER says:
“Put it on the calendar. Summer will pass you by in a hurry if you let it. You may intend to take your kids on outings, paint the deck or go visit Grandma. But if you don’t put it on the calendar, it likely won’t get done.”
On having more purpose to your day, Micah from HOME FAITH FAMILY says:
“I’ve found with each passing summer that the most intentional days are always the best. Whether our family’s purpose is baking cookies, serving a neighbour, enjoying a relaxing day at the community pool, or another bonding activity together, when there is a purpose to our day, there is greater peace and happier memories.”
Related: Make the Most of Your Summer Break in Five Easy Steps
On connecting more, Jessica from LEGIT MOMS says:
“Connecting with kids and spending time with them is the top tip I give for having an epic summer. So often, school days are busy and filled with so many interactions and transitions. Summer gives us the space to take the time and just BE with our kids. Whatever we are doing – vacationing, camping, adventuring or just hanging around at home – we can take time to connect with our kids and really give them our attention and love.”
On being more present, Christina from CRUNCHY CASA says:
“Get your kids to unplug by having a list of things for them to do BEFORE they turn to screen time. For days when everyone is home, and you aren’t out running errands or at an activity, having a list of things other than screen time can really help keep everyone accountable for how they spend their day.”
On letting go of trying to do it all, Gaye from CALM HEALTHY SEXY says:
“Our kids don’t need to be busy and entertained every minute of every day. If you’re worried that you don’t have enough planned for your children this summer, let go of some of that anxiety. Instead of trying to entertain them every waking hour, give them some time and space to relax, create, experiment and – yes – even figure out what to do when they’re ‘bored’. Having time to think, create and be bored allows children to use their brains, to create and develop coping skills. It gives them a chance to chill out and to enjoy time with friends and family. It lets them know that life isn’t about being ‘on the go’ every minute of every day.”
For staying on track, Brenda from PAPER HEART FAMILY says:
“We made a whole board that we put on a foam board. It contains the kids’ chore list, calendar, bucket list and reading punch cards. This works so well for my kids. They are doing their chores, we have a way to make sure we do all of the activities for the summer, and they avoid the summer learning slump too! It’s kind of like a kid’s summer command centre – and it helps me to enjoy my summer too!”
Related: Six Ways to Stay on Track When the Kids are Off
For a less stressful day out, Andrea from VETTED BY ANDREA says:
“My number one top tip is to be prepared. Getting things ready ahead of time like meals and snacks, supplies and lists for different bags will free up time and stress so you can enjoy the summer with your kids.”
Related: Ten Must-have Kits for the Home EVERY Busy Family Should Own
And on making time for you too, Kathy from BLISS BEYOND NAPTIME says:
“Be sure to pepper your schedule with self-care. I like to lean in on my handy dandy S.H.O.E.S. system to check in with my self-care needs… S is for sleep; H is for H20; O is for organic living; E is for exercise; S is for stillness.”
Kathy is so right. It’s so easy to focus all our time and energy on making sure our kids have a great time. But we if want to make the most of summer, we need to look after ourselves too. And that means being intentional about the time we give ourselves as well as our kids. Whether it’s ten minutes or an hour, be sure to include self-care into your daily routine this summer. And don’t feel guilty about it!
Related: How to Take Better Care of Yourself
Make the most of Summer…
There you have it! Some great ways to be more intentional about the time you spend with your kids this summer. I shall definitely be implementing some of these. I love what Jessica from Legit Moms had to say about using the time to connect more. There are so many distractions and other things demanding our attention during the school term, it’s great to have the holidays to just be together without worrying about everything else.
Gaye from Calm Healthy Sexy is right too. I put so much pressure on myself to entertain my youngest 24/7, but it really is OK to let him play by himself for a while. Not only does it give him chance to learn to enjoy his own company, it frees me up for some self-care time just like Kathy from Bliss Beyond Naptime suggests! Why not give it a try too?!
That’s it for this post!
Look out for the next post in this series where I’ll be talking about all things summer schedules and bucket lists. Be sure not to miss it by subscribing to my weekly newsletter. As an added bonus, you’ll also gain EXCLUSIVE access to my FREE Resource Library. Full of printables, cheatsheets, checklists, workbooks and ebooks, you’ll find EVERYTHING you need to make family life LESS stressful and MORE enjoyable.
Don’t let this summer slip you by…
And if you don’t want to let this summer slip you by, be sure to sign up for my FREE Five Days to an EPIC Summer with Kids challenge. You’ll be enjoying your BEST summer yet before you know it!
Did you like these tips on how to make the most of summer? How do you make sure you’re intentional about the time you have together? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time…
Liked this post? You’ll LOVE these too!
- Five Days to an Epic Summer with Kids
- Six Ways to Stay on Track When the Kids are Off
- Make the Most of Your Summer Break in Five Easy Steps
[…] for even more ideas? Check out How to Make the Most of Summer, written by a fellow blogger who included my article and several others offering inspiration and […]