Can you believe it? Sunshine and warmer days are ahead. Summertime ushers in kids at home, pool days, starry nights, staying up late and sleeping in, and the slower (or faster) pace the season brings.
The summers of my childhood were magical. Bike riding up and down every alley and side street, creating a carnival for the neighborhood kids, Little House on the Prairie marathons, swimming and coming home with a sunburned nose. Yes, my childhood summers were dreamy. And while I didn’t fully know it then, those summers were such an incredible gift. The time, space, and freedom to discover things about myself is something I will forever be grateful for.
I’m sure my childhood summers held more than idyllic, dreamy moments. However, my brain chooses to remember the magical parts instead of the quarrels with siblings or the extra chores I picked up those three months. And that’s exactly the point. There was enough good and beautiful in those summers for me to remember the good and beautiful. The rest of it falls away. The same applies for our kids: Let’s put in as much good and beautiful as we can. With fingers crossed and lots of prayers, our mistakes and mishaps and the not-so-fun-stuff will fall away and the good and beautiful will remain.
We have 18 summers with our kids in our homes. Let’s make them whimsical, fun, and full of wonder and beauty. We don’t have to plan it all out or have extravagant craft projects or sign them up for every camp on God’s green earth. Although those can certainly be part of it. We simply need to give them space and opportunities to experience the freedom and beauty of summertime.
My hope for my family this summer is to strip it down. Let go of the expectations, the schedules (pray for me), the rigidity and embrace the essence of summer. Let’s talk today about ways we can make this a simpler summer – one that’s filled with all the good things and the memories to go with them.
Tips for A Simpler Summer
Check your expectations.
Expectations can make or break us. Like Goldilocks, we don’t want our expectations to be too high or too low. We want them to be (say it with me) just right. And speaking from experience, if we error one way or the other, let’s error on the low expectation end. Let’s be realistic about our expectations this summer. It will be loud. It will be messy. Chances are it will be chaotic at times. But, if our expectations are in the right place, it will be good, incredibly good. I’m preaching to my own choir here and telling myself I need to check my expectations this summer.
Have a plan.
Whether it’s a menu concept, bucket list, or go with the flow attitude, have a plan. Enlist your kids’ help and create a plan on how you want the summer to look. Kendra Adachi has a Lazy Genius principle of Decide Once. Is there a rhythm for your summer you can decide once on? Slow mornings and pool afternoons? Every Wednesday a playdate? Babysitter help one day a week? Library Mondays? A quiet time each afternoon? Will planning or packing lunches each day be helpful? Having a plan doesn’t mean you need to plan out each day to the hour, but deciding once on a few pieces of your summer rhythm can make your summer simpler.
What is important to you? What will make your summer days run smoother? How will you keep yourself and your kids in a healthy mental space?
Have a Plan and Decide once for A Simpler Summer.
Automate the boring stuff.
Summer can be slower or fuller, depending on the calendar. Whichever way the pendulum swings, it’s beneficial to automate the boring stuff to give us more time with our people. Automate the groceries, the bills, the toilet paper delivery.
If you’re automating groceries, choose 10 meals you will cook this summer and rotate through them each week. Make a list of the grocery items you need and put them on a list, so you know exactly what to order and then pick up each week. Popsicles, check. Hamburgers, check. Fresh fruit, check check.
Automate cleaning and paper products as well with Grove Co. or Amazon Subscribe and Save. You will never be in a pinch again for toilet paper with automated delivery.
If you’re automating bills, set up bill pay for each and every bill possible. This has saved our family countless hours and ensures each bill is paid on time.
What is one thing you can automate today to make room for A Simpler Summer?
Build in fun everyday.
Be sure to have fun everyday. Whether it’s saying ‘yes’ to the sprinkler, making ice cream sundaes for lunch, spending 10 minutes looking up funny jokes, or going on a family bike ride, make sure you have fun everyday. Believe me when I say, I know this is easier said than done. But, BUT we have 18 summers with our kids, so let’s make this one fun.
A Simpler Summer is possible with a little intentionality, planning, and fun. How will you make room for A Simpler Summer?
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