Guest Blogger: Mary Mearig

summer deals!

I love summer…lazy mornings around the house, family outings to the lake, afternoons at the pool, playdates with friends, and adventures all around Austin.  While playing in the sun and spending time with my three boys are at the top of my to do list this summer, listening to two and a half months of whining, boredom, and bickering are definitely NOT.  My elementary kids need a break from the draining schedule and routine of school, but when the novelty of summertime wears off it can lead to trouble.  To keep our summer sane and peaceful my family has lots of fun sprinkled around a little bit of structure and strategic weekly planning.

Learn Something New Everyday

Morning Work

It helps to wake up with a purpose and a schedule for the day.  My kids know that each weekday morning there is a clipboard of worksheets waiting for them.  On Mondays they each do a bible study, on Tuesdays and Thursdays there is a writing assignment, on Wednesdays we do math worksheets.  On “Fun Friday” we do a science project together.  This does take a bit of organization on my part – each Sunday night I set up their clipboards for the coming week.  It doesn’t take me long, and there are a host of great websites with free printable worksheets for all grade levels in all subjects.  The assignments are things they can do on their own with a little direction and usually takes about twenty minutes.  The clipboard work gives my kids a sense of structure, gives them something to do while I drink my coffee, and also keeps them in learning mode until the next school year.  

Walking Water Experiment

Work First, Play Later

Play time is so much sweeter if you have to work for it!  Around our house, daily chores are a responsibility that come first. We use a card system so each night I drop the next days chore cards into each child’s “mailbox”. They know to check their mailboxes daily and that each chore card has a corresponding privilege card.  They know can’t have the “fun” cards til they’ve done the chore card, obviously without complaining.  I allow my kids to have some responsibility and flexibility over when they chose to do the chore cards and they’re all simple tasks like emptying the dishwasher, folding the laundry, or tidying up.  My kids are soaking up life skills, learning self motivation, and they earn that sense of contributing to the household.  

Electronics in Moderation

No mom wants to spend all summer fielding the “can I use the ipad now” question, least of all me.  Instead of listening to begging and whining, I set non-negotiable boundaries that provide for electronics time that is earned, enjoyed, and looked forward to by mom and kids!  Especially as a boy mom, I limit electronics because my kids need lots of time to run, play, ride bikes, throw balls and use their imagination.  So, around my house, each child gets thirty minutes of electronics twice a week, and three nights a week they get to watch a movie.  It’s pretty limited, so when we do sit down to watch a show it’s a relaxing treat!

Quiet Time is Sacred

Whether it’s twenty minutes or two hours, everybody needs a break. With three active boys, this mama needs a break just as much as they do!  Every day we take a quiet time during the hottest part of the day and my kids all find their way to a bed or a couch. My two year old still naps, and it helps him go down if he knows everyone is resting and the house is quiet.  I don’t require my big boys to sleep, they may rest or read. The key for us it that we all find a comfy quiet space to recharge. I use the time to answer messages, check my email, do my daily devotion, read a book, work out, or some days just shower in peace!

Separate Play

Sibling rivalry runs strong in our family, and any activity can become competitive after too much time in close quarters.  If bickering, wrestling, or disagreements flare up, I mandate separate play.  Each child is directed to an activity that they enjoy and assigned a separate area of the house to do that activity in.  It can be legos, games, arts, crafts, reading or whatever the child likes to do…the trick is to set a timer, and require the kids to play apart from their siblings during that time.  Apparently absence makes the heart grow fonder…by the time I release them from separate play they are happy to see each other again and work together.  This is also a great time to sneak in one-on-one time with each child.  I spend part of the allotted separate play time in each child’s area…nothing is sweeter than a parent’s undivided attention.

These are just a few ways to maintain sanity over the summer months, but the bottom line is that kids need plenty of things to do that keep them safe, busy, and out of trouble.  Whichever routines you implement to help keep you sane, remember to have fun!  To my fellow moms out there who might be a little intimidated by having your elementary schoolers home all summer, I hope a few of these ideas will give you time to sip your coffee or grab a shower in peace!

austin-moms-blog-surviving-summer

 

Malu Talan
Hola! I am Malu. I am a UT graduated bilingual mama raising two energetic boys who love with ALL of their heart. They are my greatest teachers and they make me try to be a better person even when I am not ready. I have been married to the love of my life since 2006 and can’t wait for FOREVER more. He is my rock, my sanity and makes me feel beautiful even in my worst days. I run the Family Events Calendar for AMB and have been part of this amazing team since 2014. I love how AMB lets mamas from all over Austin share their vision, their humor, their frustrations and whatever other stories they like to tell in this platform. It is a much needed safe space for mamas navigating this wild ride we are on. When I am not being mama or finding family events, my side hustles include searching for fun ways to help my boys love languages, writing silly picture books, running my own Rodan and Fields biz, helping out at their school when I can and getting my kids excited about it all!!

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