Summer is finally here! The days are full of possibilities! What will you do with your children this summer? Will you go to the park or the zoo? Visit a few museums or go to the beach?
The truth is, while you can plan 100 different activities that you’d like to do with your children this summer, taking action and actually DOING them is a completely different matter altogether. That’s where a routine comes in.
Now, I know. You might be objecting to the the idea of a summer routine. Too rigid. Too structured. Not enough room for creativity. But the truth is–routines are incredibly helpful, and making sure that you have one (even if it’s a loose one) is the best way to make sure that you actually do everything you’d like to get done this summer. My family has a routine during the school year, and another one in the summer too. Here’s why.
1. Routines Allow You to Be Intentional
Have you ever had a day where you hoped to spend some quality time with your children or to get the house clean, only to realize that, before you knew it, it was bedtime and you hadn’t gotten anything done? This happens to me far more often than I’d like to admit!
The best way to beat this is to come up with a routine or a plan. When you know in advance where you want to go and what you want to do, you can better plan and prepare to make sure that it actually happens.
2. Routines Stop the Nagging
Have you ever woken up to kids already proclaiming that they’re bored and begging you to take them somewhere? Kids don’t always understand that grown-ups have other things to do and that we can’t always just drop everything and do something fun.
When you have a routine in place, however, this kind of nagging stops. If your children know that lunch time is always at noon or that you go to the park every day at three, then there is no reason to pester you all morning long. They know just what to expect.
3. Routines Help Your Days Go More Smoothly
Thirdly, have you ever needed to go to the store, only to realize half-way through your trip that the baby desperately needs a nap? When you do things as you get around to them, you often don’t do them at the optimal times. By planning ahead to work around meal times and snack times (which usually happen the same time each day), you can make your entire day go more smoothly.
Routines aren’t meant to be confining or stifle your creativity. Instead, they are a great way to make sure that your days go smoothly by helping you plan ahead to fit everything in at the best time possible. This summer, I really encourage you to actually sit down and create a summer routine. I bet you’ll be surprised to learn just how helpful they can be!
Do you love routines or hate them? Does your family have a summer routine?
Teacher turned work-at-home mom, Brittany loves using her words to help people improve their faith, marriage and parenting. And with one awesome husband and two very rambunctious little boys, she’s always got a lot to say! In addition to writing for Love and Marriage, she also owns her own site, Equipping Godly Women, where she regularly shares helpful tips, tricks and encouragement to help women be the amazing women God created them to be.
Doing Good Together™ says
Excellent points! Our nonprofit offers tips for family volunteering and creating a kindness practice at home… ideas that are well received but often fall to the “if we have time” category as other must-dos take over.
Committing to kindness and service takes intention, and indeed, having a routine that puts those activities on the calendar makes them more doable! (Our monthly Kindness Challenge and Summer Bucket List are a big help as well.)
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