Driving home from a client appointment last week, I had some time to think big ideas.  I felt that I should be dreaming up this week’s blog article topic, but I really wanted to map out my plan for making this summer fun and relaxing, and productive, too, for all the members of my household.

I had a light-bulb moment on the Tri-State tollway – I put the two together!  So let me share ideas that work for us always, and also a few new ones that I’m trying this summer!

Seven Family Summer Survival Strategies:

1. Have everyone stick with Morning Routines (personal maintenance).  Regardless of when I, the little guy or my teenagers get out of bed, our routines remain the same: Get up, shower, have breakfast, make your bed, put your dirty clothes away, brush your teeth.  No matter when we wake up or what is on the schedule, these tasks need to be completed before we head out for the day.
2. Stay on top of home maintenance.  Laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning. You can pare down some work for summer, but these household tasks are essential.  And since my kids are capable and available, they are going to help.  Which leads me to……
3. Chore Assignments:  Make and post a schedule of activities and chores.  We have never used chore charts and my boys are too old to earn stars or treats, but the assignments are essential.  I just created a dry erase board (made a template in MS Word, slipped it in a plastic page protector), with blocks for each child’s activities and chores for the day (including food prep like grate cheese or peel carrots, mow grass, clean basement, vacuum, take out trash / recycling, pack, put laundry away, unload dishwasher, dust bedroom).  I’ll write this up and post it daily, so even if I am off to work when the teenagers get out of bed, they will know their expectations for the day.
4. Lay some ground rules, or remind everyone what they are.  For example:
   • No company when mom and dad aren’t home, but we are open to company       otherwise.
   • No TV before noon.
   • Basic hygiene still applies, no matter when you wake up.
   • Be home by 5:30.  HOME by, not leaving your friends house by, 5:30.
   • Cell phones and tech gadgets still get turned in at 10 pm.  Non-negotiable.
5. Lay your own ground rules.  Mine include:
   • Maintain 5:30-7 am productivity hour.
   • Abandon TV viewing altogether, until I conquer my reading pile.
   • Walk every evening with my husband.  Relaxing and fun, and good for us both!
6. Re-work your menu planning for summer.
   • We will stock our breakfast menu planning items (go to http://colleencpo.wordpress.com/category/meal-planning-kitchen-organzing/ for more ideas), since we do have early activities to get to this summer in the morning.
   • We eat lunch at home during the summer.  No school hot lunches for the next few months.  So I asked my sons for input, into what they want on-hand for their lunches.  I stocked up on sandwich ingredients, cut fruit and veggies, chips and leftovers.  Thankfully, these are all things the boys can make for themselves or each other.
   • We eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, thanks to my local farmers market.
   • In an effort to keep the house cool, I rely heavily on my crock pot and grill during the summer.  If I have to turn on the oven, I will make 2 or 3 items all at once (like bake cookies, bread and potatoes), to make the most of the hot oven!
   • May was ridiculously busy with after-school and evening activities.  I am just looking forward to cooking, and eating together as a family more consistently!
7. Slow down and Have Fun!  We had a number of activities and tasks to complete this past weekend, but we also had some unstructured personal time, and it was lovely.  In addition, we’re all making our list of things we want to go and do this summer, like road trips, movies, adventures and hikes, and favorite ice cream haunts!

So, spend some time this week working on your plan to make your family’s summer great, too!