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Summer Chores

Our summer is off to a great start. Nice weather has something to do with that but I think one of the biggest thing is that I'm not running to town 2-5 times a DAY playing chauffeur. The thing I feared the most is turning out to be my favorite part of vacation so far. Having Sam at home all day. Yes, I said I feared that. Not because of him, but the combination of him and his sister. From the moment I would pick Sam up from school the two of them would start going at it. How was I going to deal with that all.summer.long?  But here's the thing. They are doing great. There have only been three times when I've had to send them in opposite directions so I could think straight. As I type this they are playing quietly TOGETHER in the playroom.  This is why: Sam was giving his best at school and was completely worn out by the end of the day. He didn't have the energy to be at his best any more. Now that he can sleep later (not that I EVER had to wake him in the four years he's been getting up for school) and he can come downstairs whenever he's done listening to some of his books on CD. This week it's been an after eight every morning before he ventures down in search of breakfast.

I am so relieved that things are going well but they could always take a turn for the worse. They are eventually going to get sick of each other and me for that matter. I want to ensure we have some structure to our days so we can make the most of the next 90 days. How are we going to do that?

I've been thinking about how to revamp our chore chart because in its last modification and in the busyness of the last month of school we've gotten out of the habit. I did some research online for ideas specific to how to make chores in the summer work best and this post sums up a lot of what I had already been thinking.

We will work on chores in the morning and have our afternoons free for fun. At least that's what we're going to try for now. Blazing hot days might change that, but if we can stay on top of things and do a little each day I'm hopeful that everything won't fall apart if we venture out on a morning or two a week.

The other thing that I'm trying (as I type this) is to let the kids decide when they do their chores. I've given them their jobs for today (pick up a certain section of the playroom, tidy their rooms, pick up their things in the hallway, and write in their journals). They know I expect these things to be done by noon. It is so freeing to not be nagging nagging nagging. My expectations are clear and so far so good. They kept playing when I gave them their chores, but then without being told they did the first thing on their list before returning to their dinosaur game. 

A lot of our day hinges on Elsa's naps - or nap as I try to time it so I have some down time to do my chores, some time with the older ones without her grabbing everything, and staying on schedule with our planned activities.  Today that includes playgroup, swimming lessons, and an outdoor concert.

Do you change your children's responsibilities in the summer months?  I'd love to hear how you structure your days...I don't know about you, but I find learning about other how other families operate fascinating! You can leave a comment or if you decide to write it out as a separate post, please let me know.

Have a safe and happy summer friends!


Comments

  1. I am so enjoying the summer! I love sleeping in a little and not rushing out the door by 7:30 AM. Kids have been doing great and I agree with the reason. Our littlest has really come into the fold, so to speak, as well. Plus lucky me, when it's been really hot (refusing to turn on AC) we've been going to the dungeon to start de-cluttering. :) Oh how happy that makes me! I am on the hunt for some chore charts too. It's on my list.

    Hopefully we can get together this summer! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Finally catching up, loved all your posts that I had missed. It is hard not having a computer, and though I have a Kindle, it really isn't the same.
    I have a calendar made out for each day in June, July, August. Each day there are a few things to do to keep the kids' brains working. Jack has to practice writing his name and is in the pre-school summer reading program which means he has pre-reading activities to do with me daily. James is doing Hooked on Phonics and the normal summer reading program which means reading like 20 hours this summer.
    On top of that the kids have their normal chores. Nothing earth shattering, but they love getting to work one on one with me every morning.

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