Are you dreading summer, because your kids will be out of school? Are you worried about what you’re going to do with them all summer? Are you concerned about the cost of summer camp, trips, travel, and activities? Do you feel like this would be a great time to take that trip you’ve always wanted to take to Europe (by yourself lol)?
Don’t fret! Help is here!
In today’s post, I’m going to break down some things you can do to prevent yourself from losing your mind this summer, while your kids are out of school. You might even enjoy it (Gasp)! So let’s get started.
How To Prepare For (and Survive) Summertime With Your Kids, In 8 Steps:
1.Plan Ahead. If there’s one thing you don’t want to do, it’s wait until the last minute to make your summer plans. This will just elevate your stress levels, and create unnecessary tension in your home. Start planning now! Sit down with your calendar (and with your spouse/significant other/co-parent) and start planning out your kids’ activities, and/or childcare, week by week. Check with your local YMCA for their Summer Camps, and do your research online, for local summer programs for your child.
2.Get to know Groupon. If you’re concerned about summer activities for your children breaking the bank, get to know your saving grace: Groupon. You can get up to 70% off of goods, activities, restaurants, spas, fitness, travel, and more! When it comes time to plan out your favorite summer activities on a budget, Groupon is the way to go.
Ps. My jump rope class Jump 2 Burn is on groupon too. Register today
3.Plan Group Activities. While you’re at it, reach out to your fellow moms in your circle, to plan some group activities for your children. If you have a group of moms who have children of a similar age in your area, be sure to reach out to them to plan some fun group activities for your children. The bonus of doing things as a group is that, you can get access to group discounts (Yay!), and you can get in some much-needed adult socialization time, while your kiddos are having fun. It’s a win-win for everybody! Your local Children’s Museum or Aquarium are great options for those super hot, humid, or rainy summer days.
4.Exhaust All of Your FREE Possibilities. Your local library, and the Parks Department are both going to offer lots of free indoor and outdoor activities for your child to participate in this summer. Get a calendar on hand, and start filling in your schedule now! Some things require pre-registration, so be sure to take note of that, and sign your kids up in advance, to hold their spot. When in doubt, head to the beach! Sun, sand, and the ocean are a guaranteed fun time for everyone!
5.Maintain a similar schedule to that of the school year. The last thing you want to do this summer is completely mess up your kids’ routine, and make the transition back-to-school harder than it will already be. So even though their summer schedule may be different, try to stick as closely to their normal schedule as possible. If your children still take naps, make sure you stick to their usual nap time (or close to it). If your children normally go to bed by 8 pm, stick to that, even if it is still light outside, (hello black out curtains). Don’t get too far away from the norm of your family routine this summer, because it can really throw you off down the line. Also, don’t be afraid to incorporate some educational activities, and learning time into their summer schedule. This will help to prepare them for the school year, and keep them on track.
6.Don’t overdo it. In the midst of all of the planning, don’t take it too far. Every moment, of every day, does not need to be planned out. Leave room for rest, downtime, and lazy days at home. Don’t put extra pressure on yourself to have something crazy exciting happening every day of the summer, because, let’s be real, that’s not real life anyway. So no need to set them up for disappointment in the future.
7.Keep yourself a priority. Whether your kids are going to summer camp, spending time away with your family, or staying at home with you, this is not the time to neglect yourself. With all of the extra heat and humidity, it’s easy to get dehydrated, overheated, and overtired, faster then normal. So as you work hard to stick to your fitness routine, and even enjoy some outdoor workouts, make sure you’re not forgetting about some basic, but very important things: Keep a bottle of water (or a cold drink filled with electrolytes) with you at all times, sip on it throughout the day, do a proper warm-up, stretch, and cool down after every work out, and make sure you’re getting the rest/sleep you need, in the midst of all of the summer fun and activities.
8.Incorporate your children in your workout. You have seen me do this in my videos many times before, and you can do it too! While your kids are outside playing, grab your jump rope, and do a short, 10-minute workout like I do in this video. At the park with your kids? Do some squats or lunges, while you watch them play. Even something as simple as deliberately playing a game of tag, or hide and go seek, to get you running around, is a great option to keep you active, during a busy summer with your kids. Of course, my bi-weekly jump rope classes in NYC are family-friendly so feel free to bring your kids with you to my classes.
BONUS: Make It Fun!! That’s what it’s ultimately all about, right? Your workouts should be fun (on some level), or how will you stay motivated to do them consistently? Even though busy, working mommy life can be very stressful and hectic, we have to always remember to stop and smell the roses. We have to be intentional about enjoying these moments with our children, because they grow up fast. So remember to have fun, be silly, laugh with your children, and cherish every moment you have with them.
We do it all for them, and they want to see us happy and having fun too. Never forget that!
So what does summer with your children look like this year? Will you be implementing any of the tips that I shared in this post? How will you ensure that you not only survive this summer, but that you thrive, and enjoy this summer with your children?
Share your thoughts with me in the comments below, and let’s talk about it!
Cheers to a fun, happy, active, and memorable summer of 2018!