✨A Veteran Mom's Summer Survival Guide
🌺A Special Treat Today
Today, I’m thrilled to share a guest post by
, the writer behind The Pondering Scottie. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because you just heard from her on Tuesday’s Tried & True Homeschooling podcast. She homeschooled her two boys until high school with a beautiful mix of structure and flexibility. If you loved her calm, collected vibe, you’ll love her thoughts on having a beautiful summer with your kids!I hope her insights inspire and empower you to have an incredible summer.
If you know a family that’s trying to make the most of their summer , consider sharing and be sure to check out Brooke’s substack HERE.
✨A Veteran Mom's Summer Survival Guide By Brooke
As a homeschooling mom, summers were more laid back than the regular school year. We’d sleep in as long as we thought the dog could hold out, then we’d hurriedly finish our chores, so we could get to some garage sales before they closed or have piano lessons on Fridays. Many afternoons were spent swimming in a friend’s quiet backyard pool, just the three of us, while Dad was at work.
Aw, summer! The calendar page lazily flips to June and as a homeschooling mom you dream of those warm, sunshiny days, children playing peacefully together in the backyard, quiet times of reading a new novel while sipping your favorite iced beverage…until reality strikes!
Suddenly you remember T-ball fees coming due, VBS starting up, kids exclaiming they’re bored, and Johnny turning around asking you “what’s for dinner” while helping himself to a 2nd pantry snack… and it’s only 10:00am! You think to yourself, “this is NOT the kind of summer I signed up for” and I would agree with you, there has to be a better way!
Summer can spiral downward to a whole new level of exhaustion OR it can be a time for everyone, including you, to enjoy and recharge. We don’t merely want to survive the summer months; we want to thrive! It takes an intentional plan, and we homeschool moms are usually good at those!
7 ways to have a thriving summer
Schedules: I’m a big believer in structure. Children benefit from a plan and knowing what to expect because it helps them feel safe and secure in their environment. That being said, having a schedule in summer can be more flexible than during the school year. And you want to know a great way to get your children’s “buy in” on this? Lean in close and I’ll tell you. Ready? Let them help!
That’s right, let them help you devise (a mom approved) family schedule for the summer. Maybe chores can be completed before breakfast rather than after, maybe quiet reading time can be in the afternoon now instead of the morning, maybe they get longer periods to play throughout the day, you get the idea. Construct a plan that works and allows for some flexibility, for all of you. Try it out for a couple weeks and if you need to alter it, come back together as a family and change the devised plan to keep the “buy in” going. And Moms, it's always ok to tell others "No" if it doesn't align with your plan with your children.
Chores: Chores and families go hand in hand in my book. A family functions better when the kids pitch in and help. It builds a broader sense of unity and teamwork if everyone is working for the good of the family. Summer is a great time to learn or be assigned a new chore. Even little ones can have a chore like picking up their toys, older ones can take care of a pet, make their beds, and teenagers can clean a bathroom or mow the yard. Every child/teen plays a vital role and needs to share responsibilities around the home.
Boredom: “Mom, I’m so bored!” Ask my sons what happened when they told me that. They got a chore to do! And guess who quickly quit telling me they were so bored? That’s right, my kids! Children become creative and “figure it out” when they learn you aren’t going to solve their boredom for them. Maybe they’ll get out the art supplies or tub of Legos, maybe they’ll read a book, maybe they’ll make the biggest mess ever, but guess what, they’re creating and learning!
Bottom line: Let them be bored. Avoid the quick fix of telling them an activity to do and please avoid putting any kind of screen in front of them. Boredom is a good thing, allow it to happen and watch how your kids thrive!
Sleep: Kids need naps and a good amount of sleep. Teenagers need even more hours of sleep in a day! Summer is a great time to let them sleep. Now, I don’t mean slumber their summer away but letting them sleep in or have an extra-long nap occasionally can be good for them and what their bodies need. Who knows, mom, maybe you can even grab a nap some afternoon too while they nap or have a quiet time in their room.
Play: Problem-solving, language development, cause-effect and so many other skills can be learned during playtime. It may seem to you that they are wasting their time playing Barbies, magna tiles or Thomas the train, but they are actually learning. Role-playing, pretending, and building all lend themselves to figuring out their world and gaining self-confidence. Some families like to rotate toys while others like to limit the number of toys, so do whatever is best for you and your family. I would agree, though, that less is more in this area. Give one of these methods a try and observe your kids for a week this summer, you might be surprised at how resourceful they become and how their imagination grows!
Life Skills: Summer is the perfect time to teach and learn life skills! The school year gets crazy busy for you and your child(ren) but now, with a more relaxed schedule, it’s time to work on some life skills. Maybe you want to show your child how to take care of a new pet, maybe it’s time for your middle schooler to learn how to do their laundry or perhaps it’s time for your high schooler to memorize their own social security number and pick up a part-time job. Summer lends itself perfectly to having the time to allow for these important life skills to take place.
Vacations: I’m a huge fan of family vacations and travel as I think these activities broaden our perspectives on the world and can provide insight into our spirituality, culture, and geography. Traveling to a new region either by car, plane or train, eating the local cuisine, hearing the different music or language, observing new customs, rituals or holidays ALL provide rich educational lessons and without mom planning it!
Can’t do all that you might say, well, how about taking in an area museum, visiting a nearby state/national park or trying an ethnic restaurant can have similar educational implications. Come back together as a family at the end of the day or at the end of a trip to discuss highlights, observations or accomplishments.
Summer is a wonderful time to learn a new hobby, explore a new area, or pick up a new task! The key is being intentional. Plan for summer during the school year. Jot down notes of skills your children and teens need to learn or work on. That way, when summer comes along you can implement these ideas easier from the beginning, allowing both you and your children to enjoy, not only a survivable, but a thriving summer together!
For more from Brooke, check out her substack The Pondering Scottie
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 | A guest post by
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Although I did not homeschool, I saw summer as the opportunity to get my kids outdoors. We did day camp (I volunteered so received a discount) and family camping trips. We also took advantage of the public library’s summer programs. I’m now glad to see that my now adult kids now try to get their children outside at least part of the day!
You are totally right about handing out a chore when when kids complain that they are bored. My mom did this, and guess who soon stopped being bored forever 😜