Why is May sooo busy and overwhelming to every parent?!? Well, you know why because you are probably sitting here thinking, I’ve almost survived it! It’s the time of year that school is wrapping up, there are many activities for the kids, awards, graduations, parties, and then just everyday normal stuff like routines and life! It got me thinking about the summer because while in theory the summer is supposed to be more relaxing, the kids typically have camps, sports, friend meet-ups, jobs or appointments they still need carting around to, and hopefully we’ve all managed to squeeze in a vacation! The list goes on. So here are 3 very simple summer organizing tips to help us survive!
Tip #1 - Establish a new summer routine.
The key to any new routine is that the kids still have a set bedtime every night. Yes, their bedtime changes from the typical school year but it also depends on if kids have camps etc, because if they still have to get up early, re-think changing their bedtime too much. The last thing we all want is for our kids to be tired and cranky!
Another routine to try to stick to is that list of chores. I am a big believer in letting kids be kids but 5 of us live in this house and I need help keeping up with laundry and cleaning. Summertime is a great time to teach kids new chores (hello laundry!) based on their age. I simply use Mr. Google to tell me what is age appropriate and go from there.
The last routine I suggest you keep up with is meal planning. We tend to eat out more in the summer (lobster in New England, yum!) and lighter meals (salads and grilling in Texas, yes please!) but there are still nights we eat at home. We typically have to keep watermelon on hand and popsicles (might I suggest the sugar free kind lol) for those easy snacks. For meals, we do a lot of grilling meats and veggies. Figure out ideas now of what your kids like or are willing to try to see if you can have an easy rotation of meals during the summer.
Tip #2 - Make a bucket list of fun things to do.
Now this may seem like the opposite of simplifying your summer but every summer a bucket list is a great way to keep the family focused and on track, and quite frankly not on electronics in their spare time (parents included!). This could be a small list of 10 things or have each person pick out 3 things they want to do. The number is up to you! It may be something as simple as “go to my favorite ice cream shop” to something more time intensive like “a day trip to...” Our Professional Organizers in San Antonio and DFW love to do anything water related since it gets so hot in the summers , while in New England it's all about the beach and hiking the trails.
Small goals are where it’s at to keep us busy in the downtime and yet having fun and not at home fighting or creating messes! To me, this is why you’ve worked so hard all year round in your home organizing efforts so that you can go out and enjoy the summer!
Tip #3 - My most important summer organizing tip: Learn to say no and let it go!
This is really a year-round suggestion but especially for those of us that are overachievers and try to still do everything we normally do during the summer (hello fellow moms, I’m looking at you but am I alone in this?!). You may find you have to say no as to not overwhelm you or your kids. And guess what, it’s okay. Less is not always bad and it allows for freetime as well as structured time. And my advice is to let go of the guilt that comes with it! I think as a mom that is the hardest part but summer is a time for fun and relaxation, even while working and doing the everyday things we have to do.
Overall, these 3 summer organizing tips are what I try to abide by every summer to help keep my sanity. It's okay to let the house go a little bit - yes, you heard that right - because you've got these tips to help keep it mostly under control and you have this organizing team to keep you on track year-round as well as time when the kids go back to school. The key with summer is survival!
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