Summer Checklist: Keeping a Little Structure While Enjoying Summer

I am over the moon that summer is here. Initially, we hit the ground running with swim lessons for the kids and some part time work for me. That is all done and we have finally slowed down. In addition to being more mindful of my stress and the need for balance as a working parent, I am also hoping to teach my kids this balance early on. I know that, as a grownup, it is sometimes difficult to discern what we need in times of great stress. Ideally, I need to use summer, in part, to decompress and de-stress from the school year. The work load is much greater than it should be - just ask any teacher. I’d also like it to be of similar use to my kids, but in the ways that are specific to their needs. That is why I wrote about how we would enjoy our time together, here, without strict structure. That being said, as much as I love the days of sleeping in (to an extent while having young children) and not having a rigid routine, I’d still like for my kids to keep some of the structure that we have worked hard to create during the school year. I’m not talking minute by minute structure, I just mean keeping some of those great habits. The kinds of habits that build character and pride in one’s work and accomplishments, no matter how small. Last night at dinner, my three year old was ecstatic about his “nice manners and listening” that he’d decided to turn around. We talked about doing his chart at bedtime and he got quite excited. That is something we need to pull back into play because it is motivating for him. He sees a visual for his accomplishments and tells me how he feels about them. Usually those feelings are ‘happy’ and ‘proud’!

Last year we used a check-list of sorts to regulate the use of screen-time. I feel like we are at the point of no longer needing a list like that. The kids understand that they have limited time for that and why it’s limited. We explain that it’s ok for them to have some (and, yes, there are absolutely days where they have more than others), but it helps their brains grow best if we don’t have too much. We encourage more reading, creative play (lego, play-doh, art, calico critters, lego, did I mention lego?!), and outside time if possible. This year I had the idea of making them a list based only on things that were great routines to keep, along with some nice extras that involve thinking of others and contributing in a positive way. This is just a visual for them to remember their responsibilities and have an idea of what they are supposed to do where, should they forget. I also tried to incorporate the fun things I know they love instead of giving them a list of chores to do. It’s more about being a contributing member of the family and taking good care of themselves.

Our first-born is older and has different structural needs. So for our girl, who will be a second-grader next year (😭), I created something a little different. Because she is able to read, that made a huge difference with how I made hers. I gave her categories so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed. She and I chatted as I made it - I wanted it to be something she felt she liked and would actually use.

My son is in pre-school, so his is much more visual, with many pictures and sight words. I put in his very basic routines around the house, some of his favorite colors, and activities. He was very happy that I made his yellow!

I hope that you find these useful! I have included a box below for you to download and use for personal use if you like! We like to laminate these and let the kids use a whiteboard marker to check things off. You could use stickers, or even magnets if you mat it onto something metal. We did that one year with a schedule for our daughter and she loved the magnets!

Grab your printables below! Once you submit your info, you can download both or just one. You can also click here for a promo code to get 20% off on our wonderful printables in the shop! You can check that out here. The Preschool PDF has an editable box at the very top in case you’d like to insert your child’s name, as you see below! Enjoy!

What sorts of routines and checklists help your kids? I love seeing different ideas for these. I’m always trying to find what works individually for our kiddos. Leave a comment or idea below!

Enjoy these sweet summer days! Thanks for visiting!