Rather than just letting these summer months fly by aimlessly, why not plan on making your kids summer count? Often by the time summer break comes, we are tired and just want to sit back and relax ALL summer. But it doesn’t have to mean you wasted the season.
As enticing as a summer with no plans or structure may sound to your tired mind and body, I have found from personal experience that a summer of no routine and no goals was NOT a good idea!
Kids quickly got bored, bad attitudes became the norm, and the house was often filled with complaining and bickering.
Not my idea of a good way to spend our summer!
Kids function much better when they have a daily routine to guide their days. They won’t mind the fact that jobs or reading are part of the routine, if they know it ahead of time.
For my kids the problem began when I would just spring things on them when they had already made their own plans for how they were going to spend their day.
In the summer, I think it’s great to give them lots of free time that they can spend how they choose, but it should still be within the confines of a routine.
For us this meant that kids who were able to read the Bible on their own, had a quiet time each morning right after breakfast, for about 15 minutes.
Then we would gather together for a Bible-based character lesson that included memorizing Scripture. Little ones were included, but could play with quiet toys while listening. (They take in way more than you think they are, as they play while listening in.)
Make sure you remember to schedule time for your own personal priorities, as well. Be sure to include time with God, exercise, reading motivational books, etc.
Do kids lose knowledge over summer break?
Did you know that 2 months of reading skills are lost over the summer if your kids aren’t reading? Kids need 2-3 hours a week during summer vacation to prevent learning loss.
Depending on the ages of your kids, this can be family read-aloud time, or kids can have a set time to read quietly. Scheduling two separate reading times is great, so you can do both!
Don’t let them fall into that summer slide, and lose reading skills. Keep them reading and learning.
Find a chore system that works for your family, and have a set time when everyone is working on their jobs. This way work can be done together, which is always more enjoyable.
How do I help my child learn over the summer?By sticking to a chore schedule, this allows for training time of younger ones by Mom, or an older sibling working with them. (Be sure to grab our free age-appropriate chore chart pack below!)
Need help? Grab our FREE 15-page age-appropriate chore pack!
Find something you can do together as a family to serve others.
This could be visiting widows from the church.
Or make arrangements to go to a nursing home. If your family is large enough, or you have another homeschooling family you are friends with, consider planning programs the kids can do at the nursing homes. The residents would enjoy the kids talking to them or singing to them. Or just handing out pictures the kids have colored.
Other ideas would be:
If you get excited about serving, your kids will too! There is a joy it brings, that will make them want to do it again.
I would suggest sitting down as a family and getting ideas of what the kids would like to do during the summer.
You might be surprised at some of the simple things they come up with! Game nights, baking, bike rides, a trip to the park, etc.
Focus on winning and keeping the hearts of your children this summer. Schedule fun family activities that will enable you to make heart ties with your kids, while making memories.
Having a nice mix of routine and worthwhile activities along with some free time is not only a great way for making summer count, but also a sure way to enjoy the summer!
