Our Simple Summer Schedule

My boys get out of school in a few weeks, and it will officially be summer in my house. I have been a stay-at-home mom for years, and now work from home.  Creating a simple summer schedule has been beneficial for my boys (and for me) to enjoy our time together even more. There were summers I enforced super strict schedules. There were other years where we barely had any structure and just took it one day at a time.

Here’s the downfall of having a super strict schedule: I was super exhausted. The positive side was that my boys thrived from having the structure. 

Here’s the downfall of a super laid back schedule: I found that my kids were “bored” more often, and would bicker more, and get on each others nerves constantly. For me, this also led to exhaustion. In our family, no one really enjoys their day without some kind of plan. This summer, I have created a simple schedule helping us thrive that is a mix of both.

Both of my older boys go away to camps in the summer for 1 week each. We have 2 vacations planned, and a few day trips planned as well. With these plans, I really want to keep a more laid-back schedule, while still incorporating some important things into each day. I also am running a full-time business for home, so I need them to have self-independent time throughout the day.

My boys are 5, 11 and 13 years old.  In some ways their schedules differ a little bit, but I will specify that below. Also, I should mention, I let them enjoy the first week off from school with lots of free time before we sit down and discuss our daily schedule going forward.  During the week of free time, we still do daily chores and devotions.

Simple Summer Schedule :

7-8:30 am: Morning Routine – Wake up, have breakfast, get dressed, 1/2 hour cartoon, brush teeth and make their beds

8:30-9am: Bible Verse review – I will teach a new one each week to say together each morning. My youngest will have a much simpler version.

9-10am: School review – I have always realized how important it is to keep their minds growing throughout the summer. I get easy workbooks for each age & they complete a short lesson each day. If we have other plans, it’s no big deal. I try to commit 3 out of 5 days to school review per week.

10am: A daily activity (library, field trip, science center, nature walk, etc.)  or run some errands.

12:30-1pm: Lunch time

1-3pm: Quiet Time!! My favorite time of day! My older boys will read a book from their summer reading list for one hour. My youngest still takes a nap so it works perfectly. Some days I let them watch a movie as a treat. I work during this time.

3-5:30pm:  Play- They can do whatever they want – Play outside, play a game, play with toys.

5:30-6:30pm: Dinner Time –  We try to eat dinner together, but it just depends on the day and everyone’s schedules.

6:30- 7:30pm: Chores/Get your jobs done –  Each child will have 3 age appropriate chores (other than cleaning their room) to do each day. Examples include: bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning up toys, unloading/loading dishwasher).

7:30- 8pm: Family Devotion Time.

8pm: Bedtime routine  – Showers, baths, and teeth-brushing all start. My youngest is put to bed.

9:00pm: Bedtime continues – My older 2 guys go upstairs to their rooms. My middle son goes to sleep. Meanwhile, my oldest can read with a flashlight in his bed.

9:30pm:  Bed– My oldest goes to sleep.

9:00-11pm: Mommy & Daddy relax time – Some nights I work, but I take a few nights off each week.

11pm: Lights out.

Some years, I have also used daily themes that are really helpful, and they looked something like this:

Make Something MONDAY (craft day)

Time to Read TUESDAY (visit the library)

Water Wednesday (water activities)

Take a trip Thursday (field trip day)

Fun Friday (kids choice)

I hope this daily schedule gives you a starting ground for planning what works best for your family.  We want to enjoy all summer has to offer, while lessening the stress in our home. I believe this schedule will help us do this.  I hope your summer is amazing and productive!!

For some cheap ideas on how to spend your summer days, check out:   “10 Super Cheap Things to Do with Your Kids This Summer.” 

*If you enjoyed this post, I would greatly appreciate you sharing it on social media. Thanks!

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