Transition Your Family From School to Summer in Six Easy Steps

Easing into the relaxed vibes of summer takes some work. Here’s how to transition your family from school to summer in six easy steps!

Moms Crushing It with CanCan Quick Steps

The lazy, carefree days of summer are upon us. While the kids may be thrilled about the last day of school, many parents experience anxiety about keeping their children occupied during the summer months.

Here are six tips to ease the transition:

1. Keep Your Routines
2. Tweens and Teens Still Need Structure
3. Create a Nothing but Fun Summer Get-To-Do List
4. Stay Connected with School Friends
5. Organize Summer Reading and Appointments
6. Keep Learning

Rewarding Summer Plans

While trying to entertain the children all summer can be stressful for parents, spending quality time with family can still be rewarding. Focus on engaging rather than entertaining the kids, and you’ll have a fun-filled summer. 

Tip 1: Keep Your Routines

Have a gathering with your family before summer gets going, and review the routines and policies that you expect to continue so that everyone is on the same page. 

Just because the bus isn’t coming early in the morning to whisk your kids off to school doesn’t mean you should give up on some of the important routines that you’ve worked so hard to enforce throughout the school year.

For example:

Bedtime routines can certainly be adjusted for older kids so they can stay up later and enjoy more time hanging with friends or watching movies. But if you throw your evening routine out the window for the next two months, you and your kids will pay the price when it comes time to transition back to school.

Family chores should also be kept in order so that the household will continue to run smoothly, especially if extra people are visiting during summer.

See Also: 5 Important Ways Routines Will Create Balance in Your Home

Tip 2: Tweens and Teens Still Need Structure

Remind your tween and teen at the very beginning of summer that curfews, though they may be adjusted, are still in effect as well as share what your expectations are for them helping out around the house or keeping up with summer reading.

Then get your teen’s input on how he or she would like to see the summer play out. This gives you an opportunity to get excited with them about any plans they may have, as well as discuss any concerns.

Teenagers also need to be involved with their family’s summer routines and plans. This will take coordination as many will have part-time jobs, which will limit their available time during the day or evenings. Others may have no agenda at all. This may seem exciting at first, but after a couple of weeks, boredom usually sets in.

Tip 3: Create a Summer Fun Get-To-Do List

Summer is an exciting time of year, but with eight-plus weeks of non-school time on many families’ hands, it can also be overwhelming in terms of keeping kids entertained and out of trouble for that length of time.

Many years ago, CanCan Mom started a tradition called the Summer Fun Get-To-Do list.

Even for my teenage kids who have part-time summer jobs, it’s still important that they get to plan on some fun outings that are their choice.

Oh, and this Summer Fun “Get-To-Do” list also includes mom and dad choices as well!

Visit my printables section to download your “Summer Fun “Get-To-Do” List for free!

Tip 4: Stay Connected with School Friends

Young children in kindergarten or grade school become attached to certain friends they meet in school. They can become sad if they don’t get to see these friends for a couple of months.

This is particularly true for special needs children. Consistency with familiar faces is helpful for children who struggle with social skills. 

Tip 5: Organize Summer Reading and Appointments

Schools usually distribute a summer reading list as well as other learning activities that are recommended for kids to complete throughout the summer. I will be receiving six such reading lists next week.

Before the 4th of July, my kids and I will head to the library and start checking out books on these summer reading lists so that we can get a head start on the process. There’s nothing more daunting than having your child hand you their required reading list at the end of August and tell you he forgot all about it. Sigh!

Reading doesn’t have to be a chore if you can get your kids excited and motivated early on. I have an incentive program during the summer where finished books and written reports earn movie theater tickets, visits to their favorite ice cream shops, and other goodies.

Tip 6: Keep Learning

Keep reading to your children. Reading together outside during the day, piled together on a couch, floor, or a bed on rainy days, or under the moon and stars provide some wonderful bonding time and fosters a love of reading. Don’t forget to invite stuffed animal friends!

Find out if your child’s present and future teachers have any recommendations for summer learning activities that will help them maintain and practice skills that will be beneficial for the next school year. 

Many school districts post suggestions on their websites according to grade level. Taking two months off from learning makes it difficult to step back into learning mode come September.

I devote two sessions per week (about 30 minutes each) for my kids to complete activity packets, play online learning games, or watch educational videos or programs on The History Channel to keep up with their knowledge and skills.

You can also schedule family field trips to museums and other fun places that will spark their learning interest or play board games such as Scrabble (you can play online for free) or Monopoly to keep them sharp throughout the summer.

How do you wind down the school year and ease into summer with your family? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. When it comes to surviving, I mean savoring, summer vacation with kids, we’re all in this together!