Currently, in case you haven’t noticed, I am handling it poorly. Knowing what day it is has been a wee bit of a challenge…
Homeschooling and our regular activities provide a lot of the structure to our days most of the year, so I rarely have to think too hard about it. By the time summer comes around I am ready for a break and let us dissolve into lazy chaos for the first few weeks. It never takes us very long to start getting bored and out of sorts though. (Or to start forgetting what day of the week it is *cough*.)
We have a few chores on dedicated days of the week, as well as my husband’s work schedule, but it is time for just a bit more planning. I am thinking of a few standard playdates, a library day, and an extra afternoon with the Grandparents to start. Maybe two days a week where we spend a bit of time in the garden as a family? We will spend a lot of time outdoors and swimming, as well as some festivals and day trips, but those sort of events are planned as they come up.
What about in your house? What works for you? I know some super organized parents have whole itineraries for the summer months, but that just isn’t me. In fact I actually don’t like making routines at all! In my imaginary version of my life we just float through summer, organically making it to whatever lovely outdoor activities come to mind. Imaginary Kathryn also always knows what day it is and never forgets what time to take her medication though, while Real Kathryn has a brain that is full of bees and could use some help. So here we are.
I am aiming to add very small things to our days, just enough to help distinguish them. A few of the ones I have already are things like “I water my plants on Sunday” or “We visit this person of that afternoon”. I have been working to add “We meal prep on Mondays”, and I think things like “We go to the library on such-and-such a day” will help keep me oriented in the week. (Might need a phone alarm for daily things though. I’ve been trying to avoid being beeped at, but there’s really no better way to make sure I am timely with things without having to watch a clock.)
To keep a bit of novelty in the planning, I am thinking of writing up a summer bucket list too. Just a list on the fridge of fun little things we want to get to this season. It will be fun to brainstorm it in the first place and it will also help us to come up with something to do of quiet days. What’s on your summer bucket list? I would love to hear! Ours isn’t written yet so feel free to share your inspiration!
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