Guest blogger Liz Matheis wants to take a piece of summer into the school year. In fact, she’s devised a few strategies that take summer into the start of the school year and beyond.

3 Ways to Take a Piece of Summer into the School Year

I want to take a piece of summer into the school year. If you’re anything like me, you’re dreading the rush, rush, rush that happens when school starts. I love summer nights not driven by activities, homework, and the intensity that takes over once the school year begins. As I gear up for the new school year, I’m thinking about to hold onto a piece of summer breeziness in the midst of the insanity that takes over our houses and families.

Shut It Down

Designate a time of the evening that all members of the family will end the day and settle down for the night. The time may vary from night to night, but when the hour comes, ask your children to put their backpacks in their designated areas, take out clothing for the next day, prepare tomorrow’s lunch, and jump into pajamas. Once these tasks are completed, engage in electronic-free leisure time. Play a game, read a book, color, draw, or stare at the wall. The whole point is to build an end time into the day’s activities and tasks so you can wind down as a family.

Avoid Overscheduling

As I listen to parents speak about their children’s’ activity schedules, I become overwhelmed. Children and adolescents are overloaded with multiple activities and therapies. The rule at my home is one activity or therapy per child per season. I stick to this rule because as much as I want my children to have the experiences, I also want them to find balance between work and play.

By limiting children to activity or therapy, they can truly enjoy or invest their energy in it without the pressure of having multiple events each week. It also means that family dinner may be a possibility two-three times per week… at the table and with utensils!

Keep Weekends Sacred

I have always loved the weekend. For me, its a time to stay in my pajamas and slow down the pace. Use your weekends for catch up, but build in family or social time so that the weekend is not just catching up on errands. Use weekends to catch up with your family or friends. Plan movie nights, game nights, preparing dinner together, or whatever else makes you feel rested before Monday hits again.

With summer coming to an end, try not to get crazed with the upcoming business Rather build in respite so that you have time as a parent and as a family to become rested and refill your tank. That way you can take a piece of summer into the school year. If you have a way to take a piece of summer into the school year, share it in the comment box to give readers something to think about. Thanks!

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