How to Make Summer a Blast for Your Family
Summer should be carefree and fun, but with kids home 24/7 it can get stressful. Don’t fret! Here’s how to make summer a blast for your family and you.
CanCan Mom’s creative routines and schedules make motherhood easier and more fun. Interact with love and laughter more often than impatience by incorporating my unique Quick Steps into your daily family life!
-CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
Moms Crushing It with CanCan Quick Steps
When I think of summer, I think of lazy days where rest and relaxation go hand in hand, but that’s not usually the case. Instead of chilling out, families tend to burn out because suddenly they’ve got 8-10 hours of free time each day—and the kids complain that they’re bored or fill the time by staring at electronic gadgets, squabbling with siblings, or getting into trouble.
If this sounds familiar, worry not! CanCan Mom has 6 simple tips to make this summer one of your best:
- Don’t Forget Structure
- Encourage Your Child to Try Something New
- Do One Thing as a Family Each Day
- Redo One Area in Your Home as a Family
- Send Your Child Snail Mail
- Learn Just to Be
Plan Ahead for Summer
There’s something dreamy and magical about the start of summer. On the coldest, dreariest days of winter, the mere thought of sitting on the beach with my toes immersed in the cool, wet sand while my kids happily build sandcastles close by is often enough to keep me warm until those sunny days finally arrive.
However, once school is out and the tight, hectic schedule we navigate between September and June is over, it’s quickly replaced with 10 full weeks of having kids home 24/7.
The secret to a fantastic summer? You better have some summer plans in place!
Tip 1: Don’t Forget Structure
The school year is crammed with schedules, activities, and homework, so when summer arrives, everyone breathes a sigh of relief because the pressure is off. While that’s definitely a good thing, it’s also important not to abandon some structure during the summer months so that kids still know what’s expected of them.
Set up guidelines right off the bat. If your child has a daily chore, don’t just assume he’ll get to it whenever he can.
Enforce that after breakfast, it’s time to take care of the daily chores, then it’s free time again. Before dinner might be devoted to summer reading or putting laundry away.
Whatever you decide is right for your family, ensure your kids know the expectations so everyone is on the same page all summer.
– CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
Tip 2: Encourage Your Child to Try Something New
Summer is a wonderful time to encourage your child to explore a new hobby or sport that he or she might not have had the time to take on during the school year.
We take our kids out for ice cream on the last day of school to celebrate completing another year. It’s also an opportunity to chat about new things they can try for the summer.
Look for ways to incorporate their suggestions to involve some or all of your family members. It’s also a great opportunity to spend one-on-one time with your kids.
– CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
For example, one of my sons wanted to learn how to cook, so we set up a time each week for him to learn his way around the kitchen and how to follow recipes. Now he’s the best brownie maker in the house, and everyone benefits from his new hobby.
My daughter admitted that she always wanted to learn to knit. I had been interested as well, so we learned together—great way to bond as well as create gifts for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, etc. (P.S. She’s much better at it than I am!)
Tip 3: Do One Thing as a Family Each Day
The one thing kids remember is the time their parents spend with them. Even if you’re a full-time working parent like I am, there are plenty of opportunities every day to have fun and connect with your child.
On the days I can devote extra time to my kids, I do silly things like calling the home phone from my cell phone and telling whoever answers to please round up their siblings and report to the kitchen immediately because there is a problem. When the kids arrived, they found me waiting, armed with bathing suits, towels, and all our beach gear. “I decided to take some time off today for us to go to the beach,” I explained.
Because it was completely unexpected, it really made the beach day more fun and special. (You could also take a trip to the zoo, mini golf, aquarium, local fair, the movie theatre, or anywhere else of interest to surprise your kids. Also, playdates or a visit with grandparents)
On rainy days, baking and cooking together is a great way to teach your kids not just how to cook but how to make traditional family foods. Plan ahead, choosing easier family favorite recipes at first.
If you have several children, double up the recipe so you have one dish to enjoy today and freeze the second dish for another day. This frees up more time for fun later on—and your kids will enjoy hearing praise for their cooking again.
You could also make and pack a surprise picnic for the beach or a park or for your backyard or family room if you have young children, If staying home, make sure your kids bring their favorite stuffed animals, dolls, and action figures to enhance the fun. Put a blanket on the floor/ground, and let the fun begin!
See Also: 6 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Picnics With Your Family
Tip 4: Redo One Area in Your Home as a Family
I’ve always enjoyed watching television shows about home makeovers. It can be an entire house renovation or just a portion of a room—whatever the case, I love the transformation process.
With many time constraints lifted during summer, this could be the ideal time to look around your home and seek your family’s input for some makeover ideas.
You don’t have to gut your entire kitchen to make a statement. Maybe your family room could use more storage to get the toys and stacks of books off the floor. Maybe take some time during summer vacation to create a cozy reading nook (bean bag chairs and/or lots of pillows, maybe a rocking chair for when parent or grandparent reads aloud?).
What about taking a bunch of family photos one weekend and then framing them to make a new family art gallery? Work together to make some corner in your home updated—something the whole family can take part in and then enjoy together afterward.
Tip 5: Send Your Child Snail Mail
Receiving snail mail is something today’s generation of kids doesn’t experience all that often. Email, texting, and social media apps like Instagram have made old-fashioned snail mail obsolete.
That’s why receiving a card or letter in the mailbox is an unexpected treat. My kids love to get mail but usually only receive cards for their birthdays.
I love to pick out fun cards, especially the ones with sound, and save them for no special occasion. When I’m at work, I’ll mail them to one or more of my kids “just because.” It helps me feel closer to them when I can’t be there so they know I’m thinking of them.
– CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
Tip 6: Learn Just to Be
In this day and age, we run around like crazy trying to check off an impossible amount of items on our to-do lists. We’ve become a generation of “human doings,” not “human beings!”
So when we do have some downtime, we forget how to relax and be in the moment.
If your family falls into this habit, make this the summer to get back to basics and discover the simple art of enjoying the moment.
Regardless of whether you have toddlers or teens, find a few moments when one or all of you are together and sit and enjoy the view of the flower garden from your front window or porch while enjoying sweet seasonal fruits or be still and listen to the crickets chirping on a balmy summer’s night. After a few minutes of silence, you can all share family stories or recount favorite memories. Laughing together is also a great way to relax.
– CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
Make a point of sharing with your child that you’re enjoying the moment. If they see you relaxing, even if only for a few minutes, they’ll learn the importance of incorporating this quiet time into their busy lives.
How do you have fun with your kids during the summer? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment selection below.
