Friday Thoughts
1) Summer Schedule Thoughts: With my kids getting out of school for the summer a week from today (!!), summer (and staying sane and scheduled) is on my mind. In fact, I have so many thoughts swirling around my head about summer that this might be the only “Friday Thought” I share today.
Over the last 10 summers, we’ve done various systems/schedules to keep us organized. Those of you who know me well already know that I’m super scheduled – schedules keep me sane. I’m kind of in love with schedules, actually.
So while there are some parents who approach the summer 100% free range style, I’m not one of them (although I admire greatly parents with this style, and my kids, I’m sure, often wish they had been born to a mother with a little more free range in her).
However, let me be very clear, I do not keep my kids scheduled 100% of the day. And they aren’t involved in a lot of outside activities/summer camps in the summer. Maybe summer “system” is the better word for what we have going on here.
I believe in summer chores (work before play is our motto).
And I believe it’s ok for my kids to be bored once in a while.
Every year, given the changing ages of my kids, we sit down one-on-one and evaluate what goals they would like to accomplish during the summer (learn Photoshop, build a wood project in garage, etc). And of course, I throw in a few of my own.
Our “system” has changed from year to year. In the past, I’ve done an official, super cute job chart (I made the cards from Susan Fitch’s amazing job chart clipart on Etsy). I would fill in the slots each night before I went to bed so when the kids woke up, they’d have an outline of their jobs:
It worked great for many summers, but my older kids have kind of graduated from a cutesie system like this. So we’ve also muddled through a few summers where I would do the ol’ pen and paper system for them and the cute job chart for the littles.
Now I’m at the point that I want one system for all. Simplicity! So this summer, my plan is to print out a one-page chart (I’ve linked it below) on cardstock, laminate, and use a dry erase marker for the kids to mark off their jobs.
And I’m changing up our “every day chore” system and moving toward a life skills method.
I’m realizing that my kids can do bits and pieces of a job pretty well – but clean the bathroom top to bottom thoroughly? Uh, yeah. Scary.
This summer they’ll have a daily list of tasks to complete by noon (Fridays are a free day for all the *’d jobs):
-Pick up room/make bed
-Reading (30 mins)
-Typing* (1-2 lessons per day; goal to get to 40 wpm by end of summer for age 10 and older)
-Practice piano/cello* (30 mins)
-Math facts* (10 mins)
-Dad’s outside job list (Brian writes this out every morning)
Quick note: for typing, in the past, we’ve used Typing Instructor for Kids (actual software you buy) but it didn’t play nicely with our mac, so now we just use typing.com. It’s a little boring (no frills and games) but it gets the job done and every time they finish a level, they can play a game (tons of free ones online). If anyone has great typing program suggestions, I’d love to hear them!
And then they’ll have a weekly job assignment. The cleaning jobs have to be finished and checked off by me by Thursday at noon with the caveat that if we have company or something else happening, I can ask them (nicely) to complete the job sooner.
We’ll rotate through these weekly job assignments (and I’ll help the 6- and 8-year old, but I’m expecting that my 10-, 12-, and 14-year olds should be able to do an adequate job themselves with a little training).
Weekly tasks:
-Vacuum whole house, including stairs
-Dust entire house room-by-room and help plan and prepare one dinner this week
-Clean bathrooms top to bottom (we have 2.5 bathrooms)
-Clean up breakfast every day this week and prepare one hot breakfast this week
-Clean up lunch every day this week and prepare one lunch (hot or cold) this week
Five kids. Five weekly assignments. (Here’s a PDF of the chart I threw together in Pages for a visual.)
We also have a “room job” chart that we’ve used for years that includes things like cleaning up dinner, picking up various rooms in the house, wiping down the guest bathroom, feeding animals, etc.
It works wonders for our family, and is the longest running job system I’ve ever used (we use this year long, not just in the summer). I really love this little wheel. It saves my sanity on a daily basis.
I redo it every once in a while when we need to add job or change things up. Every single day of our lives around dinnertime or right after, I call out “room jobs!” and everyone knows exactly what I’m talking about – and they (hopefully) get moving on their room job. And trust me, if one of them is still fat dogging it on the couch, one of their siblings will quickly call them out to get moving on their room job. #siblingaccountability
Anyway, I’m not sure how our summer system will work this year. It’s the first time I’ve done the “weekly” job thing – but Brian and I talk all the time how we want to raise functional, responsible kids who know how to work, how to finish a job, and how to…well…clean a toilet.
So, that’s the goal this summer. I’m still working on delegating laundry. I’m worried for my life, our septic tank, and all the clothes in our house if I offload this responsibility. They DO fold all the clothes (see room job chart), but I still do the washing.
Lest you think that my kids are the most disadvantaged kids in the history of ever to have their summer focused around jobs and chores, I always start the summer asking them to write down the three things they’d be sad if they didn’t do during the summer. The answers are enlightening. And we try to make many of them happen (assuming the list isn’t focused on international travel and anything that would require me to sell a child to afford).
So far, this summer’s list is looking doable: lemonade stand, sno cones, take walks, bowling, camping, each week a kid cooks, fishing, etc.
Since jobs are always done by noon (and usually much earlier since we are still up by 7:15 a.m. during the summer to read scriptures as a family during the week, much to my teenager’s dismay), they have the rest of the day to play basketball in the front yard, put the sprinkler under the tramp, work on their individual summer goals (woodworking, photoshop, etc), do their fave drawing tutorials on ArtHub, and, you know…get bored. 🙂
Enter my boredom busters chart.
I have this thing laminated and hanging permanently on the fridge during the summer (not during the school year). They’ve learned not to even come to me and say “I’m bored” because they’ll most likely get another job to do or I’ll rope them into whatever project I’m doing (this summer it is going to be a lot of indoor painting of rooms).
So they often consult this chart, and usually manage to find something to do to entertain them (some of the ideas require mom approval).
And guess what? If they STILL end up writhing in boredom on the couch moaning that all of their friends are at Disneyland all summer long, I console myself knowing they actually do have lots of opportunities for creativity and fun, whether they can see that right now or not.
The boredom buster chart saves me too, because despite being at home full-time (something I’m intensely grateful for), I still have to fit in 3-5 blog working hours every day, since this crazy blog of mine requires a crazy amount of work.
While I do most of that late at night, especially in the summer, I also tell my kids several days during the week that I have work hours from 1-3 (or whatever we decide that day), and they need to self-entertain and only come to me if it involves the three B’s: blood, broken bones, barf.
In addition to weekly trips to the community library, a trip to the local waterpark once in the summer, swim lessons, community pool now and then, and several family reunions, I also try to incorporate one or two NEW things each summer to keep everyone excited at home (at least for the first two weeks – ha!).
Last summer it was a slack line (similar to this one) aff. link that my parents gave to them for Christmas the year before but we hadn’t pulled out before. It stayed up all summer and was the hit of all hits.
This year, I added a few new games to our Osmo system aff. link (we love this thing – anyone else have it??). This is a learning-while-playing system – they don’t get unlimited access to it, but I’ll let them dig it out in the afternoons for 30-45 minutes (or until someone starts arguing, whichever comes first).
We just got the Awbie coding game aff. link (super excited about this one). We also have words, numbers, Newton and a few others.
And the other surprise for this summer is this impressive shaved ice machine (aff. link) A bit excessive, I know. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I have several friends with the blue model (aff. link) of this popular machine, and they can’t stop talking about it. The jury’s still out on whether or not we’ll actually use it enough to justify it; I’ll keep you posted (I’ll probably sell it if we decide it’s too much machine for us – haha).
If I had a neighbor with kids, I would have pressured them into splitting the cost with us, but I’m sure we’ll get a ton of use out of this summer, even if I haven’t figured out where to store it (my house is sadly lacking in storage – it might have to take my side of the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch).
A few other things that save us in the summer. Some of these have been birthday/Christmas gifts that continue to prove their awesomeness:
–bunch o’ ballooons aff. links
-free ArtHub drawing video tutorials
-ThinkFun games (these games are so fun; we love the roller coaster one and the tilt one) aff. links
–Snap Circuits aff. link and Legos
-Origami tutorials (we search free ones on YouTube and we also have this easy origami book) aff. link
-Lots of markers/crayons/colored pencils
-Latch hook kits (buy them with 40% off coupons at Hobby Lobby)
Phew! This is long! And I am really, really interested and excited to hear YOUR thoughts and YOUR summer systems.
But one last quick note.
Brian and I have really tried to encourage the entrepreneurial/work side of life to our kids. My 10-year old is planning on opening up a donut shop this summer and selling homemade donuts (his trial run a month or so ago produced the best donuts ever, thanks to the recipe book a frequent commenter here, Liz, sent him!). And cupcakes too, I think!
We’ve told our kids that when they turn 13, they need to be working 6-8 hours a week. Last summer, my then 13-year old made fliers for lawn mowing, helped his friend with a trash bin cleaning business, and got several odd jobs doing yard work for people in our small community.
It was a little painful, I’m not going to lie.
Most of his friends were playing video games and going on vacations all summer (at least according to him), and “working” was the last thing he wanted to do as a 13-year old, but even he admitted at the end of the summer that he was excited about the money he had earned (and even more excited about the money he had put in savings).
And I was excited he wasn’t pestering his younger siblings all summer long. We really try to foster this “work” element by sitting down and making a plan early with him (and we’ll try and do the same as the other boys reach the same age), encouraging him to find work that he really enjoys, and fronting the money for businesses or projects where he can pay us back as he earns a profit.
This year, at 14, our requirement is that he’s working 10-12 hours a week (with the idea that by the time he’s 16, working a 40-hour week job in the summer won’t kill him off). He already has a job lined up to sand down and paint a swingset, and he’s also starting a flag-selling business (Boise State and BYU flags).
Even though all the details written out like this makes me tired, I know it will be much easier to implement than it looks on paper because we’ll tackle it one day at a time, have Fridays off (yay! free day!), and ultimately, we are used to schedules so we all kind of thrive with the structure.
My goal by the end of this summer is that we’ll all still feel like this: 
Haha. In reality, I know there will be ups and downs this summer and some days where it all falls apart, but hopefully our new-ish summer system will work well.
Please share what your summer system looks like if you have one!
I welcome any and all comments (please just keep it respectful and open to all differing opinions!).
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Thanks for this post. It has me inspired to get my act together for our summer. I have never been a “super efficient-stick to a schedule” kind of person and I greatly admire people like you who are! We have 5 kids, ages 11-3, so many of your chore ideas fit us perfectly. Here’s to a productive and joyful Summer!!
Good luck, Branwen! And let me assure you that I’m probably not as efficient as I appear. We definitely have those days where it all kind of falls apart, and that’s ok! 🙂
I dread summers because I live in Arizona. Summers, for me, are what winters are for the rest of the country. We’re having “mild” time right now (hovering upper 90s; has already been 103). I know 110, 111, 112 are coming soon.
With no pool in our yard…we get a little stir crazy around here.
I was just pondering redoing our chore lists (I’m a dedicated toilet scrubbing mom, too)…might try the “weekly” thing for the summer!
My friends in Arizona have said the same thing!! Summers are so brutal there! Good luck!
Man….reading this and some of the comments am I thankful for the parents I have…. I get making kids work and have some chores but they should also be able to be kids and have fun especially during a break adult life is hard enough I think kids need to be kids for as long as they can. I had chores and small jobs growing up but my parents wanted me to enjoy childhood and as an adult now those are my happiest memories. I now have a great paying job, college degree and family of my own so I did not end up being a slacker because of enjoying my childhood. To some of these moms, since your brood cleans your whole house for you and does outside work and helps you cook dinner what do you do all day long?
Hi Jay – that’s wonderful that you had a great upbringing. Your parents sound like they hit the awesome middle ground of teaching you to work AND encouraging fun! I’m sincerely glad you’ve been so successful. Each family has their own way of doing things, I guess. My kids work really hard, but they play really hard, too, and I definitely don’t think they are lacking when it comes to “kid time” or having a lot of fun – they basically play from noon until bedtime.
Thankfully because they help clean the house during the summer, I’m able to watch TV all day and eat my bodyweight in bonbons. Oh wait, that’s still just in my dreams. I can only speak for myself, but I feel busier than ever in the summer – double checking chores and jobs (and working from home) is not for the faint of heart! 🙂
Jay, hopefully you did not mean for your comments to sound as unkind and as insulting as they did. All parents have different methods of raising children. We can have different methods of parenting but still be respectful and nice.
As a mother of 5 children ages 26-11 I have much experience (positive and negative) and know what I speak of. Trust me, it is much, much, much harder and time consuming for a mother to teach a work ethic than it is to just “let kids be kids” and do the work for them.
A mother teaches children throughout their lives while in her home. You are teaching constantly by your example. Whether you are teaching that everybody pitches in to make a home happy and clean, or the parents do it all.
Please remember that the end goal of raising children (or a mother’s job) is to make sure her children do not need her, not make her children dependent on her for life.
Oh, and please talk nicely! 🙂
Laura, I agree! It’s much harder for me to take the time to teach each of my four children to do a task properly than to just do it myself. But that would be self-defeating, so I teach, I help, I supervise, and I check (as they progress in their abilities). As for “what do you do all day”, Jay, I can assure you that summer really means I have almost no time to be alone, and therefore the things that take concentration and quiet focus get pushed aside. We make time for the fun things, like swimming at the pool and getting popsicles, but it’s also good for kids to know that life doesn’t revolve around them or their summer break! I still make sure to get in my workouts (they have to come with me or I get up super early), we have to grocery shop, I have to cook and feed all these people every day, I have to do the laundry for six of us…it’s endless!
My children are grown now but when they were young our summers were always very unstructured. Lazy mom’s guide to summer fun? An author from my hometown once commented that she was raised in “wholesome neglect” and that really resonated with me. In hindsight there are things I might have done differently but I did love the relaxed feeling we had in the summer.
I was always trying something new for chores and ended up with a (theoretical) bucket full of unfulfilled dreams in that department. One thing the children liked was a set of jars–one with small jobs, one with bigger jobs, and one with prizes. They would draw out of the job jars never knowing what they would get and they liked the mystery of that. When the jars were emptied I would cycle the jobs back in and add new things whenever I thought of them. The prizes were things like “choose a treat to make” or similar, not toys and mostly free or inexpensive.
I think my biggest successes with chores were when the children thought we were all on the same team, not me against them. Chores are tough! I think I didn’t succeed the way I hoped to but for sure the things I regret most are when I forgot to let the love shine through.
Hi Gwen, I loved reading your thoughts. I actually really, really admire and enjoy hearing from moms who are wholly unstructured. It’s awesome. I wish I was wired a bit more like that. You sound like such an incredible mom…so focused on letting the love shine through. I loved that so much.
My oldest likes Dance Mat Typing.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Our summer system is a little but looser goosey around here. When our children were small, until our youngest entered kindergarten four years ago we had a much more rigid summer system, Fridays were beach days (We live on Lake Ontario) Tuesdays were our trip to the library, Thursdays were baking day etc. Now my children are all in school and I am back to work. My husband and I both work six days a week, every week, so fitting in summer activities is hard. We still find time though and usually decide the week before what family activity we would like to do on our Sundays together, sometimes it’s a day trip to the city or a theme park, but usually it’s the library or beach like we used to do. Aside from that our kids are at a babysitters some of the time. If my husband and I work alternating shifts and the children will only be home for an hour or two by themselves we leave a chore list to be completed by the time one of us gets home, after which, if the chores are finished there is some time to relax together as a family. It’s exhausting at times and while I used to love summers with the kids when I could be home with them I don’t so much now, with work and juggling schedules. I wish I could take some time off in the summer to spend with them again.
Thanks for sharing the perspective of two full-time working parents, Caitlin! I think it’s remarkable that you still try to fit in family activities on your one day off each week.
Mel,
I’m a full-fledged grown up, recently a college grad (AHHHHHH). Not going to lie, I’ve been floundering a lot in these past couple of months with job hunting and having way more free time on my hands than I know what to do with or like. That job chart is inspired. I’m going to borrow it and tweak it for myself to hold myself accountable. My biggest problem has always been that when I sit down to plan out schedules like that, my mind blanks and I never get think of what needs to be done, especially for tasks that are weekly or monthly. I’m hoping this will help with that.
Between this and your Kitchen Rockstar pdfs, I’m hoping that I can get to a point where I’m adulting semi-reasonably. Thanks for all of your help! 🙂
Haha, it sounds like you are adulting WAY better than probably most people your age. 🙂
We bought a sno-cone machine last year. Ours is smaller – a Hawaiian Shaved Ice brand. But I was surprised at how much we used it! We broke even on the store bought sno-cones vs. homemade last year. This year, we don’t have to replace any supplies (except water) so it’s been totally worth it. Thanks for the ArtHub videos!
We watched one right away! Our summer plans consist of the community pool (Vegas is a hot, hot town in the summer!), chores, and reading/math skills. I love how you have things set up, I may copy some of that. Thanks for sharing!
I’m happy to hear you loved your sno cone machine! I hope we feel the same. Not sure yet. Glad you loved ArtHub!
Mel! Completely unrelated to summer schedules – but I did have a very happy Friday thought – that included you. I recalled you recommended Jambu shoes a couple of years ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money. Lo and behold, on my weekly Costco trip today – there they were, the exact same ones, for $17. A very happy Friday thought and purchase indeed!
Serious??? That’s so awesome!
I LOVE Jambu shoes! That wide toe box is just what my daughter needs (she inherited my feet). But they’re tough to find in Canada; I’m so jealous of your Costco find!!
Thanks for the ideas. We have 3 weeks to go, and I was dreading summer. Now I have a few ideas to keep us all sane. Does anyone have ideas on on-line summer math programs? What do you do to keep up with math during the summer? (3rd grader and 6th grader here)
Khan Academy! Free and great for all school aged kids. Not just math either.
We like Khan Academy, but my kids LOVE prodigy (also free). A mixture between math and a battle game. When you get the answers right you succeed, but when you get them wrong, well, you lose. I also really like Xtra Math (also free). It tests you on quick math facts.
Hey Emily, I just use some old school math flashcards and a few math fact apps on the iPad. I haven’t ever had the energy to delve into full-blown math in the summer…we just do math games and math facts.
Hi Mel-
I love the idea of opening a little donut shop- what is the plan for making that happen? I have looked into my son selling cookies or something like it (he LOVES to cook and would be all over that idea for the summer), but it seems like in order to be a part of a farmer’s market or summer festival, there’s a pretty big price for setting up a stand to even get started. I know you can’t just sell from anywhere and I suppose I should look into what the rules are as far as selling at the park, or in front of Walmart or something…I’m wondering if you’ve found any good ideas for how to make that work…Love your summer schedule- I am much like you in how I like to organize- always fun to hear another mom’s ideas!
Hey Laura, that’s a great question. We should probably flesh out the business plan a bit, but he was going to keep it simple and create a flier with his business name and the details so people can preorder the donuts and he can deliver the donuts to each home fresh on Saturday mornings (or whenever he decides to do it). So I think the plan is that I’ll go around with him while he goes up to doors (probably starting with family and friends) and sells preorders of donuts. Does that make sense?
Haha you’re a great mom – not in spite of making your kids work but because of it! I make my kids work too. We do very similar things to you. There’s a job chart on the fridge that’s just a spreadsheet I print out each week. We do this year round. There’s also other jobs they’re expected to do each day like empty the dishwasher and clean up every meal. Part of the chart has a zone they’re in charge of having clean by the end of the day. So it’s similar to your room wheel.
I’m really liking your ideas. Given me some things to think about.
In the summer I also have some of the kids do a couple pages in a workbook each day. Summer Bridge and Summer Brain Quest are our favorites. I’m doing those for my 6-10 year olds. A few years ago I started giving my kids summer book boxes. I got them each a plastic box and I put their workbook in it along with several books they haven’t read (about 8-10.) I search Amazon for highly rated books for their ages. An easy way to find new ones is to search a book they’ve loved and look at the suggested books that come up or books others have purchased along with it. Most of the books I put in the boxes are from the library (I make sure to request them a few weeks before school is out) and I sometimes buy them one or two new ones (usually classics.) I got this book box idea from a blog but can’t remember which one! I present them their boxes the first Monday after school is out and they are always super excited about them!
Hey Maria, I LOVE the idea of that book box! Thanks for sharing that!
Love all of these ideas! My kids are a little younger – 6, 4, and 2. And a new baby arriving in the next few weeks. 🙂 This was the first year I had one in school, and with a new baby, I am not setting super high expectations for lots of accomplishments this summer. I want to put some sort of routine/schedule in place, and definitely keep up with some of the school skills, especially with my older two, but I think I’m going to be flying by the seat of my pants some days. And that’s ok. When my brain is a little less foggy from pregnancy and newborn sleeping schedules, I will have to come back and re-read this.
Oh yeah, Rachel, TAKE IT EASY this summer. I spent several summers after having new babies literally just surviving one day at a time. Most of those days, none of us ever got dressed, and I’m not even kidding. GOOD LUCK!!
So many wonderful ideas!!! Thank you!
When our kids were younger, we had a fantastic paper airplane book that involved a lot of measuring, cutting, and taping or gluing – kept the boys busy for hours! Last summer, two of my grown sons (ages 22 and 25) each bought another Norman Schmidt book and had great fun reminiscing and making paper planes again. They ordered this book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1895569834/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1895569117/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
Thanks for the idea! My boys will love that!
Thanks so much for the recommendations, Christine! Those books look awesome!
I found these books at my local library!
Great post Mel! I love the boredom list. I’m definitely making a copy for our board at home. Your system reminds me of the one we had growing up. I’m one of seven so we had rotating weekly chores so my mom could keep cleanliness and sanity in the house and also instill some responsibility and work ethics in us. It worked because I was always babysitting then got my first real job at 15. We definitely weren’t bored in the Summer, that’s for sure! Now my life is a little different. My husband and I both work so our Summers include camps for our girls but I try and mix them up with different activities to keep it fun and creative. We also make up a reading program to keep up with school and practice math facts. I’m definitely going to check out the typing website. Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Patricia! Sounds like you have a good system going!
You’re speaking my language girl! Structure all the way for us! Checklists, charts, schedules…all that stuff makes my heart happy. And honestly, for our family, our kids are much happier (in the long run) with structure.
I have a question for you. I have four kids age 5 and under. I love the IDEA of chore charts and daily chores and all that. But right now I’m sort of just trying to keep everyone alive and making sure our house is not a disaster zone. So what age was your oldest when you started this idea of chore charts and things like that? My oldest (5) is definitely capable of small chores (making her bed every day, putting dirty dishes in the sink). But sometimes just trying to keep the toddlers’ and baby’s physical/emotional demands met is so much work I can’t handle starting the chore system. I would love any words of wisdom you have about this 🙂
That’s a great question, Ashley. Remembering back to when I had the same situation (four kids ages 4 and under), I definitely wasn’t this structured. Not yet. We had this super simple chart with pictures on it for only my 4-year old that had things like: make bed, say prayers, put breakfast dishes in the sink. Things like that. He would put a sticker on the square when he did it and that was it. I would involve his help (and the younger kids as they could…but obviously, they were too little to do much) during the day. Picking up toys, etc. But I think it was when my oldest was probably 8 that we started with more of the structure. Does that help at all?
Thanks for all of these wonderful ideas. I really admire all that you do, and how you are able to make my own life easier and better in SO many ways!
Thank you! 🙂
If highly recommend listening to the summer survival series at the Lazy Genius Podcast. She is so great at breaking it down. Her first episode was more about expectations and not setting ourselves up for failure and re-framing your mindset so your summer works for your family. It’s a great listen!! She’s 2 episodes in and i cannot wait for the next one!!! I listen to her while I’m cooking your recipes Mel
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m always up for a good podcast and this one sounds great!
I love reading how you do things Mel- we would so be friends if we lived by each other. I do a very similar system during the summer. Last year I put them into categories of “building”- I had a theme of “we build because we are built to last!” And had categories: “building heart” “building home” “building brains” “building body”- each of those had a few tasks under it (under heart would be secret service and personal scriptures- Home would have their weekly and daily jobs and bedrooms —under brain would be school oriented stuff and music—- body was for exercise and creations made with hands) we also had a giant butcher paper up on our door leading to the garage that said “building together”- where we wrote stuff that we did together- watching sunsets, taking hikes, service together, temple trips, books read, new places we visited, etc etc. We loved having the theme all summer- my sister in Eagle, ID did it too so we bonded with the cousins despite living apart (we live in salt lake) what a special time we all have to share and learn together for a few short weeks, on our own schedule and in our own way! priceless! Enjoy your summer together everyone!
Wow, Sarah! That’s awesome! You take it to a whole new level…I love the the theme idea and I super love writing down the things you did as a family.
I am a single mom and back in the days when my girls were young, I started planning for summer in April. I made a 3 month calendar with their activities, vacation and daycare (which I tried to keep at a minimum both because of cost and impact on them). It was hair-raising for sure and a source of stress but it kept me sane at the same time.
When I was able to be home with them in the summer, I was determined to have slow mornings because school mornings were a zoo. When they were bored, that’s when I would decide what we were going to do.
Thanks for your thoughts, Becky! I think adding the single mom factor makes it even more of a juggling act; I like the thought of having slower mornings as a change to the craziness of school mornings!
I do a very similar schedule with my 5 kids, ages 10-1. They each have a summer checklist with chores, piano, math facts, etc., I even put toothbrushing on there as a (hopefully) freebie. I like the idea of using bedtime as an incentive. For us, once our kids fill their whole check list (usually about 7-10 days depending on what is going on), they can pick a DVD at the library. We are screen free, so this is a big incentive for them.
I saw on Instagram that your oldest has achieved Eagle Scout! Congrats to him and you! I’d love to hear more about how he was able to do this at such a young age (and how you and your husband encouraged him to complete the badges). It seems like completing eagle before high school might be easier in the sense that there are fewer demands on time.
Hey Kate! Thanks for sharing your summer schedule thoughts! And yes, my oldest did phase 1 of his Eagle Scout project today (that’s why I’m just barely checking in on this comment thread; it’s been a crazy day). He’ll do phase 2 next week. My husband is pretty passionate about scouting – in that, he likes to move the boys along at a quick pace because he remembers as a teenager losing some love for scouting as he got older, which makes earning the Eagle Scout harder (and I think you are right, once high school hits, which is this fall for my 14-year old, the demands on their time are harder and different). Anyway, my boys have thankfully been part of an active church troop with great scoutmasters over the years who have been diligent at getting them on the necessary number of campouts, having board of reviews, and generally keeping them progressing – and we (mostly my husband!) do the follow up to make sure the home requirements (like family life and personal finance and such) are being done at home. It is a TON of work. But I’m excited that my oldest will have his Eagle Scout at a relatively young age before his life gets busier.
Your kids are so stinkin cute! Your boys are so grown up and handsome! I was hanging onto every word in your post because I have been having anxiety just thinking about summer lol. I did a similar “system” last year where they had a list of jobs and life skills that needed to be done before they went outside. It worked pretty good. My kids just want to be outside from sun up until sun down so that’s where I struggle. All that time in the sun… Part of me wants to let them go play outside until noon and then come in for chores during the hot part of the day 🙂 But I love all your suggestions and tips. Especially for the older kids and work ethic. Maybe we need some chickens and cows 😉 We need to step up the work load for sure! Thanks a bunch!
I hear you! I’ve thought about flip flopping and doing chores in the afternoon – but so many of our jobs are outside because of our property that they’d still be in the sun. I am crazy about them wearing suncreen, which they hate sometimes. But I actually think it’s awesome your kids want to be outside so much! I think that can be rare these days.
I have done lots of different summer systems. How I feel about it fluctuates from year to year, often depending on the age of the youngest child/whether I am pregnant. This year will probably be pretty chill, because I have a 9-month-old and 5 other kids and I just need chill, rather than a lot of structure. I always pick out a couple of books to read aloud to the kids sometime during the day. Last year we read Snow Treasure and Number the Stars; this year I’m planning on Caddie Woodlawn and The Hiding Place. And if we can somehow manage to scrape the money together, I want to get a family pool pass and teach my 6-year-old to swim. We’ll do jobs together as needed, work in the garden as needed, and my oldest 2 (11 and 13) will have daily chores, as well as working together on dinner. But the rest will probably be free time. I feel like they get so much structure during the school year, it is good for them to have lots of free time in the summer. So that is the route we take…at least this year. 🙂
I love this approach, Anna. And I love that you can be flexible year to year. Good luck this summer! Six kids (with a baby!). You are amazing.
Update (now that it’s actually summer): since I remembered how much easier it is to keep kids from killing each other (and how much happier they are) if they have work to do and if they work WITH ME for part of the day, we are back to doing our previously perfected(ish) routine of dividing the house into zones and doing one zone per day all together. That and their individual chores have to be done before screen time (which is limited to half an hour per kid per day and can be done on the computer or the kindle), but otherwise the days are pretty open. It feels better to me than just waiting until things get super messy or chaotic before going into Drill Sergeant mode. And each day’s responsibilities are manageable (for them and me), and there is still lots of time for playing and being creative and getting bored. 🙂 Thanks for getting me thinking about this, it really does make a difference if I am purposeful about how we do what we do.
Love this! I love your site and loves so much of what you say, could I petition you to consider removing the part of this post that discusses not needing to seek counseling for your children? (where you are discussing that they complain they don’t get to do with their other friends do over summer ) Some kids counseling despite great parenting, and this is not a sign of failure. Using the lack of need of counseling as a sign that someone has made an acceptable parenting choice can lead other parents to think that seeking out counseling for their children as a sign of weak parenting, which I am absolutely certain you did not mean to say. People look up to you and if they see that you equate not needing counseling as a sign that you’re doing everything OK, I fear that will make them personally less likely to seek out counseling for their children even when it’s needed, regardless of what kind of parenting that child has received. And feel free to delete this comment! You are super awesome and if this is not an issue that’s touched your family I’m sure it did not even occur to you.
Kate – just wanted to chime in and agree with your post here! I know that Mel meant this in jest, but totally agree that we need to de-stigmatize counselling and this is one way we can all contribute. Thanks for speaking up. 🙂
And Mel – love your summer plans. I always get such great ideas from your posts, even though our summer looks very different from yours.
Kate and Jesse – thanks for the comments. You are right about this – I should have been more aware and thoughtful in my words, and I am sorry if I caused any hurt or upset because of my unintentional, lighthearted comment. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Hey Mel, What an awesome job you and your husband are doing raising your kids! Kids do need some structure and it sounds like you have a great balance of chores and free time! What you are teaching your kids will help them grow into productive adults. It is such an asset to send them off to college, knowing you have given them the tools they need to succeed! Learning to cook is a huge life skill because it has such far reaching effects into their adulthood. My husband and I have 3 sons and have done the same as your family. It is rewarding to see them turn into adults that know how to work, know how to cook, can do a great job of taking care of themselves and are just so much fun to be around! Our youngest just graduated from college, so I feel like we have done our job as parents to get them to this point. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, but definitely so rewarding.
Thank you so much, Lavonne! How rewarding to see your sons grow up to be wonderful, functional adults!
Mel,
I have been reading your emails for years now. I have made a bunch of your recipes! So scrumptious!! Love reading about your trips too! I have 2 boys 12 and 15. They are home alone for the summer during the day. I always have given them suggestions each day as well. One old fashioned game I played with them, that your kids might like is “hide the button” . Cold if they’re not close and warm, hot, hotter, boiling if they are close. One person hides the button somewhere in the house while the others stay together in a designated spot. And I made obstacle courses outside. Thanks for all your great ideas for summer, games over the holidays and recipes! Have a great Summer!
Jane
Great ideas, Jane. Thank you!!
Hi there! Thanks for sharing your summer plans – it is motivating me to get a her chart in place for our young boys. Can you explain the wheel to me a little more? I see the names of the kiddos in the middle but what do the jobs mean? There is a smaller and bigger wheel that both rotate? Is the larger wheel areas of the house to be cleaned? To what extent do you have your kids clean these areas? Pick up of daily mess or a more detailed cleaning? Thanks for your help! You are an inspiration!
Hey Erin! So the only wheel that consistently moves is the names and they rotate around one space clockwise on Sunday mornings for the new week. Technically, I made it so the other wheels can rotate, too, in case I want to change things up, but we don’t often rotate the other wheels. The middle green circle is mostly animal jobs, also a space for garage trash (if we throw boxes out there that need recyclying), and wiping down the guest bathroom. As for their big “room job” – they just walk through it, pick it up, and make sure it’s mom-approved. Very rarely I’ll ask them to vacuum it, but usually it’s just a pick up and quickly organize type of thing. Does that make sense?
I’m glad I’m not the only one who comes up with a summer schedule/system for my kids. Thanks for the ideas!
You’re welcome, Brittany!
I am absolutely AMAZED at the similarities between us! 5 kiddos nearly your’s ages, schedule freak, concerned about work ethics… I could go on and on!! Are you also a first born? I think we could be great friends!! I’ve been following you for a few years now and never get tired of reading your blog, no matter the content.
This post has encouraged me immensely…given me a sense of being on the right track and courage to implement a system. Also love some of your ideas and want to try them, especially getting the children involved in cooking and using early bedtime as a motivation. We own a mobile donut business so the 13 and 11 year old get to help out about 3 days a week during the summer which helps in a number of ways, but I still need to work with the younger ones. I wish I had ideas to share but in reality you’ve far surpassed all the ideas I had thought of!!! Thank you seems inadequate!!
Sorry about the testament! Maybe should have sent you a private email?! Just want you to know you’ve been a blessing to me today!!
Haha, no, I’m 2nd born, but I’ve always been a little bossy and high strung like some first borns. 🙂 My son would DIE to be in your family with the mobile donut business. That’s such a great way to get your kids involved working. I love that! Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Julianna. 🙂
Love your ideas and for sharing what works for you. I have 3 boys ages 12, 10, and 8, and I think half the battle is keeping the system fresh each summer. I’ve also found for us that it needs to be flexible, as some days/weeks some of my kids have more free time than others, depending on if they are doing a camp, have a baseball game, etc. CHORES: A system a friend recommended to me works for us: I made a bunch of cards with the common jobs we have, then “laminated them” with packing tape to make them durable and waterproof (because, boys). It is super easy and fast for me to change what the needs are each day. I keep one card as “Mom’s Choice” for anything that comes up out of the norm. I posted an example pic so you can see what I’m talking about: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/255649716333383722/ . SCREEN TIME: All chore/reading/active time cards must be done and flipped, then you get 30 minutes with a timer. if you watch your brother on screens, that time counts against your 30 minutes. WORKING: We make our 10 and 12 year olds contribute significantly towards their sleepaway camp cost – our hope is that it helps them appreciate it more that they EARNED the right to be there. They spend the first days of summer working on their plan for how they are going to raise their money, and I usually help them make flyers, etc. They have done lemonade stands, sold homemade protein bars, and done pet sitting. They’ve already been brainstorming their ideas for this year, including picking up pet poop for neighbors (there is a market for this believe it or not!). I was looking for typing ideas for my 12 year old, so thanks to all who have shared ideas! Looking forward to hearing ideas from others – thank you for this post!
All of this resonates with me, Elena! Thanks for including a picture of your cards. I like the “mom’s choice” idea – we did that with our laminated cards a couple years ago, I but I might include that this year, too. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Melanie I want to more like you! You are one amazing mom and I want to thank you for all the hard work you do to keep your blogging up and going! I loved this post and it has given me many ideas for my boys. Just last night I was thinking oh great school gets out soon what are we going to do? I kind of dread summer but always sad when they go back to school. So thank you again for this very insightful blog today! I love you Melanie I am so glad we are friends!
Haha, you are way too sweet, Meri. You know me in real life which means you know I am FAR from amazing. It’s scary, really. 🙂
Wow Mel. Clearly you already have this very well thought out.
My kids are raised and cleaning their own bathrooms now(!) but we approached things similarly, with some responsibilities and plenty of down time too.
One “job” you might consider adding is what we called “see what needs doing”. Part of growing up and being responsible, in our way of thinking, was taking initiative and noticing a need without being told. It was sometimes interesting what they found to do…clean out the Tupperware cabinet, dust all the ceiling fans, pick all the weeds from the brick walkway. Sometimes they see at a different level than we do, and notice things we wouldn’t.
One little nag Mel….I know this was said for humor : >I console myself knowing we haven’t had to seek counseling for any of them (yet),<
However, as a parent who did need to seek counseling at an early age for a daughter with an anxiety disorder, this kind of stung. Some things are out of our or their control, and mental health shouldn’t be a laugh line…to me. I do pray that your kids continue to be well-adjusted, happy, and never bored!
“See what needs doing ” is a great chore idea!
Kendra, thank you! Love the idea of “see what needs doing”- for me as well as the other family members. Spelling it out as a chore helps share the mental work as well as getting the job done. I am going to start doing this right away.
And, totally with you on the counseling note. Very grateful for professional care to help our family and loved ones heal and thrive.
And Mel, wow. You rock. Your loving and practical words are such a gift.
Happy Summer to all!
Tina and Kendra – I’m sorry if my lighthearted, misplaced comment caused any hurt or upset. I should have been more aware of my words, and I am very sorry! I agree that counseling and therapy can be intensely helpful and a huge blessing…and I shouldn’t have made light of that. My kids certainly are not perfect or 100% “well-adjusted” – we definitely have our own struggles, and because of that, I should have been more careful with my words. So very sorry!
Thank you Mel. I never thought you presented your kids as perfect, and I admire the way you keep it real. Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Mel, and bless your heart, as my grandma used to say. You help so many everyday, and not just with cooking (though that’s no small feat!), but with your great sense of humor and grace.
I’m so pumped to see that part of your routine is to practice math facts! I’m a middle school math teacher and this is so important to help kids stay fluent in math. I just wrapped up my year and told all my students the same thing. You’re an amazing mama with such practical ideas that I’m going to steal. Thank you for creating such delicious meals for my family!
Thanks, Kristin! 🙂
We have the blue model snow cone maker you linked, and we love it! It’s the perfect cool treat during the summer, and since we just use concentrated Crystal Light/store brand drink mixes for flavoring, it’s not even a sugar bomb of a treat. 🙂 Also, it automatically makes you the cool mom with any friends that come over. Our kitchen is not big by any stretch but we make room for it on a tiny table in the corner all summer long. Hope you guys love yours!
And I’m with you, giving kids structure during summer saves my sanity!
Oooh, great idea on the mixes for flavoring. I hadn’t quite figured out what to do about that. I was thinking I might need to set up a permanent table in the corner of the kitchen. 🙂
You are way more organized than I was when my kids were young. My guys worked hard in a strict private school so I basically gave them summer off with a few stipulations. At the time I felt they would be working most of their adult lives and I wanted them to have the freedom that only children can feel in the summer. At least that’s what I had when I was young and I still remember how wonderful my childhood summers were. So, they did have to read and practice violin and piano and play outside…no TV’s or computers in bedrooms! Plus they did their own laundry from the age of 10 which my sisters thought was horrible. I say if they can work a DVD player they can manage a washer and dryer. Enjoy the summer! The time goes by so quickly.
Thanks for your thoughts, Teresa! I actually really like the idea of “summers off” especially if they have such a strict school year. I wouldn’t say the schools here are very rigorous, unfortunately – even my middle schoolers rarely had homework during the school year, so maybe that’s why I justify so much structure? Who knows. Anyway, I always love hearing from you and what you did as a mom!
I love this post! I’m sorry if you’ve already shared in the past- or purposely avoided the topic ha- but would you mind sharing how/what you do to manage tv/video game time? It seems like your family always has so much non-screen time fun!!
Haha, I haven’t avoided it (at least I don’t think so). I kind of touched on it a few Friday Posts ago about smart phones for teenagers, but screen time/video games/tv is still something we “manage” during the summers. We are definitely not screen-free, but I would say my kids are pretty limited – mostly because we’ve never really centered life around a screen. Meaning, my kids don’t expect it. I guess their expectation is actually “mom probably won’t let us have screen time” so when I DO, it’s highly exciting. Usually in the afternoons when it’s super hot outside or we all need a little break or downtime, if they’ve done their jobs well, quickly, and without a lot of hassle, they’ll get 30 minutes to an hour of screen time. The only video games we have are super old school Wii games, but they still love playing them. Thankfully they don’t give me a lot of grief when I remind them screen time is over. They just pick up with what they were doing before. In the past, I’ve picked one day every summer (without telling the kids when it will be) where after jobs are done, they get unlimited screen time. It sounds crazy, but they go NUTS when I tell them. Basically, I’m like, if you approve through me what you are doing/watching, you can do it for as long as you want. They think it’s awesome and like they won the lottery. And I laugh a little every year when after a couple hours, they’re all kind of bored and they turn off the TV/Wii and head outside to play basketball or pick up a book or whatever. We do a lot of family movie nights on the weekends all together, too.
Thanks for taking the time to answer! My kids are still little but I’m really hoping we can find a happy medium with screen time. I missed the other post and will have to go back and read it as well :). Also about the unlimited screen time day. So fun!
Laura, not sure if this is helpful or not when it comes to how to manage screen time. Just thought I’d share (feel free to delete if this isn’t an appropriate place to share). https://fabulesslyfrugal.com/how-i-use-chores-to-keep-my-kids-motivated/
Oh summer, I definitely have a love/hate relationship. Our summer looks fairly similar, I have 5 kids about the same age as yours. In the morning we do chores, 30 min of reading, 30 min piano/cello. Each kid is also required to come up with a summer project. Something they can work on each day, like a sewing project or my son wants to do a coding project. Also I help each of my kids spring clean their rooms the first week or two. It is a good time to help them donate clothes that don’t fit and toys they don’t play with any more. Plus get rid of all the papers and random things that collected over the year. We also go to the pool once a week and we usually meet up with my sister about every other week to go hiking, or to the zoo or a museum.
My 14 year old boy is working at a scout camp this summer. Since he is not 15 he can only be a counselor in training but he will be gone for 4 weeks and he is super excited to be on his own and doing all things outdoors which he loves. Next year he will be old enough to work the whole summer at camp. My goal for the summer is hiking. I used to take my kids hiking several times thru the summer until my youngest. It was fine when I could pack her but when she got too big for the pack I realized she is the worst hiker ever. She is 5 which I know is young but she can not go more than about a dozen steps with out crying and complaining that it is too hard. We live at the base of a mountain so my goal is to take them up the trail each week. Each week we are going to try to go farther than the last time. I would love to make it to the top by the end of the summer but it is 4 miles and I don’t know that the 5 year old can make it. But I love to get out into nature and the other kids do too. One last thing we are doing is having an 80s movie night once a week. I think it would be fun to introduce them to some of the movies I loved watching as a kid. Plus when I was a kid my Dad used to force us to watch old westerns that he loved and I am passing on the tradition 🙂
Oh yes, we do the room cleaning thing the first week of summer, too, and it is liberating. It’s so nice to get rid of all the junk lurking in the corners and the closets. I love, love your emphasis on hiking. I need to do more of that with my kids because I know they would love that. Maybe that gradual approach will get your cute 5-year old all the way up the mountain by the end of summer! Good luck with that! And I am loving that 80’s movie theme. We had the kids watch Karate Kid and Flight of the Navigator a couple months ago. Those movies were epic.
What typing software/learning program are you using for your kids? My daughter will definitely be doing this over the summer.
We just use typing.com but it is definitely no frills and kind of boring. There have been some other good recommendations in this thread, though!
These are awesome suggestions! Thank you! What do you do about consequences if a child does not complete the assigned jobs? My kids are bit older than yours 10-16yo, and we’ve struggled in years past with this issue.
Hmmm, great question, Melissa. Our standard has been that their bedtime moves up as they continue to prolong doing jobs (so for every 30 minutes past noon, their bedtime moves up 30 minutes). That has been motivating for my kids.
You amaze me. I was overwhelmed reading your post. I have five boys 16 to 6. The oldest will have a full time summer job, and the next two mow lawns for neighbors and take care of the landscaping at a family owned business.
I am super simple when it comes to chores. I like a schedule, but I just need simple. Each of my kids has a dish night once a week where they must clean up the whole kitchen after dinner. They each have a laundry day where the laundry room is theirs and they must get all their laundry done and out for the next person the next day. Then we have a list of “Zones”. Each person has a zone assigned to them that they need to keep clean. We rotate the zones every 2 months.
In the summer we have our big cleaning day on Mondays: all their zones, rooms, bathrooms, get cleaned, garbage taken out, etc. (during the school year this day is Friday. Chores done before playing)
I need to be better about making them make beds and keep room clean everyday, but sometimes enforcing that once a week is all I can handle 🙂
They have a list of small things to do before play time (and after chores) such as reading, math facts, and doing something kind for someone.
I love how you set goals for the summer. I am going to do that with my boys!
And, again, you amaze me and make me tired 🙂
I think YOU are amazing, Jessica! It’s funny how just reading someone else’s system can be overwhelming. That’s how I felt reading yours. Maybe we actually are just doing things similarly? Haha. I don’t know. Anyway, it sounds like you have things really together and not just in the summer!
I love your summer ideas!! I just wanted to quickly comment with a typing website my 9-year old son loves. It is nitrotype.com, and it is a car racing game. The faster you type, the faster your car goes.
My kids do that one too. They love it!
Thank you! We need a fun one.
As soon as my boys learned the keyboard through typing.com, they fell in love with using Nitrotype.com to increase their speed. Nitrotype does not teach the keys and finger placement.
Thanks for the recommendation, Elizabeth!
Thanks for sharing all of your ideas! I would really like to get my kids (15, 12, and 12) doing more jobs around the house this summer to keep me sane. They always empty the dishwasher and take turns setting and clearing off the table. In the summer the past couple years they have had to sweep and mop the wood floor, pick up their rooms, and each clean section of their bathroom. There were other daily chores that they had to get done. As their incentive , they had to get them all done before they could play games on the computer or iPad. That part worked great, except for managing the amount of time they play and watch. I noticed you don’t mention much about this, it is my BIGGEST challenge and makes me dread the summer. They get one hour a day, but it seems to drag on way longer. Either they are waiting for things to load or…I don’t know what… It always seems they play longer than the hour. We have tried all different things to keep track. A timer, writing it down, etc, and nothing seems to work well. Do you (or anyone else) have any ideas for this? It makes me nuts! Thans again for all your ideas though. I will see how we can implement some of them into our summer schedule!
We use an app called Screentime. It works great for monitoring phones and ipads! It has a feature for extra rewards/time.
We use screentime too! LOVE IT!!! (screentime labs)
We use Disney Circle to manage screen time and it works great!
I don’t think you are alone, Rebekah! I think the screen time issue is a challenge with so many of us moms! My kids have limited screen time – similar to how you describe. About 30 minutes to an hour after jobs are done and usually in the hot part of the day when we all need a little down time. It sounds like there are some good recommendations for managing the time aspect. I usually just set the timer on the microwave, and they know if they go over or don’t stop on time, they won’t get screen time the next day. But it’s definitely not a perfect system.
I don’t like keeping track of screentime or being asked all day if they can have some, so this summer I’m going to make the 11:00 hour screentime hour. Whoever has finished their list (chores, dressed and ready for the day, reading, some outside time, etc…) can be on the screen starting at 11 and off by noon. If they’re not done with their list they can’t start screen until they’re done but it still ends at noon. This gives motivation to finish chores early. We often do “screen free” weeks so if they aren’t sticking to the plan (still asking for screen at other times, not getting off on their own at noon, fussing about wanting more) then we will start a screen-free week.
This is a great idea, Jill!
YES!!! My kids are 12 & 13 and with both of us working outside of the home they will have quite a bit of alone/free time on their hands this summer. I already printed out “chore” charts to provide weekly but your ideas to have them typing, planning meals, cooking, baking, etc. never really crossed my mind (maybe because I’m so excited to come home to a clean house? Ha!). Great topic, thank you!!
Haha…good luck, Melanie!
Sometimes I feel the planning and organizing of a project (charts, lists, research) is more enjoyable than the project itself…am I alone here?!? As much as I love my schedules, they were ALWAYS interrupted by LIFE! Living in a neighborhood full of kids, I always said yes to invitations for my boys to join a friend for activities we weren’t planning for them…day trips to a beach, kids museum, amusement park or to enjoy a new activity we did not have access to such as sailing, horseback riding, etc. (I think living so close to other kids is a boredom-buster in itself!)
Yeah, this can be so true, Sandra. We don’t live by any neighbor kids – we’re kind of in an isolated spot in our little town – so my kids don’t have the neighbor kids to act as a boredom buster, but I can see how that does interrupt the schedule a bit more!
Yes, Sandra! I feel the same way. Things sometimes come up during the day in the summer, whether it’s friends calling and asking to play, relatives stopping by, errands that pop up that need to be done. I’ve had to make peace with only doing a summer schedule some days and not every single day. It makes me feel better if I just expect that unexpected things happen and it’s ok if the kids don’t do their chores/math facts/piano practice a few days each week. I just aim for this kind of schedule 2-3 times a week or so and that’s good enough for me. 🙂
Mel, you continue to amaze me!!! Thank youfor a very timely and well- written post! Just last night I was laying in bed, wondering how on earth I was going to set the summer up for my family. We’re moving from the littles stage to the school age stage and it’s a new chapter that I’m not sure how to write yet. Thanks for sharing all your awesome mothering advice and experience! Happy Friday!!
Thanks, Amy! Good luck this summer!
Great ideas! I am particularly curious to know how you handled chores and schedules when your kids were younger. I have four boys ages 9, 7, 5, and 3 with a 6-month-old baby girl. They have daily chores, but it seems like some days all I do is nag them to get them done and then there’s no time for fun and they’re mad at me. Anyway, just wondering if you have any sanity-saving tips to get chores done quickly in this phase of life! Also curious as to what ages you had your kids start doing certain things, like making meals, etc. I never know if my expectations are too high or too low.
I hear you, Julie. I’ve done (and continue to do) my fair share of nagging. We’ve always had a simple system: jobs done by noon or you go to bed 30 minutes early for every 30 minutes extra it takes you to complete the jobs. That has seemed to motivate them pretty well, and I’ve really really tried not to say ANYTHING to them besides gentle encouragement in the morning (even if they are rolling around on the carpet doing nothing!) so that I don’t spend the morning nagging. When my kids were ages 5 and younger, I gave them very, very simple jobs – ones they could do on their own (pick up their room) – and then jobs they could do to help me. I’m trying to think of ages my kids have done certain tasks – for meals, we’ve done it ever since my oldest was 6 or 7, but him “making dinner” was really just being in the kitchen helping me or Brian with simple things (cutting olives, putting fruit on a plate, etc), and then as they’ve gotten older and wanted more independent cooking responsibility, we’ve let them. My 10-year old right now requires less assistance with his meals/cooking than his older brothers just based on interest level, so each kid has been different (but by the time they are 12, I expect that they can make a simple meal by themselves if I’m close for questions).
This is what I was thinking. My boys are 8, 6, 3, and 1 and I’ve been trying to come up with a summer plan. This post was timely and inspirational, and yet at the same time had made me want to crawl in a hole and die. But really, mel I appreciate all your tips! I want to be a good mom who does the hard work of helping my kids learn to work. I have to remind myself it’s just one day at a time!
Mel,
Thank you for the awesome recommendations! They are fantastic as usual. I was wondering what you use for practicing typing?
Thank you
I want to know as well! I have a 10 and 11 year old and this is a GREAT idea!
Oh shoot, I meant to include this. In the past, we’ve used Typing Instructor for Kids (actual software you buy) but it didn’t play nicely with my mac, so now we just use typing.com. It’s a little boring (no frills and games) but it gets the job done and every time they finish a level, they can play a game (tons of free ones online, but here’s a fun one they love: http://www.abcya.com/kids_typing_game.htm)
Would you be willing to share the name of the donut book your son uses?
I love all your chore scheduling and encouragement to teach good work habits. I want to be that organized!
Thank you!
It’s called “The Baking School” – it’s an artisan bread book, so I’m not sure it justifies the cost just for the donut recipe, but if you love bread making, it’s a great book.
Who is the author on that? I’m looking to buy it for my sister (for the breads and the donuts both!) but can’t find it. “Baking School: The Bread Ahead Cookbook” comes up and maybe that’s it? Just want to make sure! 🙂
yes, that’s the one! Mathew Jones is one of the authors.
Thanks for the all suggestions! Some of these will work for our cross country road trip (pray for us!)
Oh wow! Fun!