With all of the structure and activities during the school year, having weeks upon weeks looming upon you can be intimidating. But don’t stress! Use these tips to help make transitioning to summer just a bit easier.
- If you don’t already have memory boxes and/or storage for kids school papers and creations, this is the time! A simple plastic tub, a filing system, an archival box…whatever works for you and your household. But you know a pile of things will be coming home soon so get prepared now. Don’t forget to mindfully edit those things before storing them or they’ll take over!
- Create a file for summer camps (either digitally or in paper form) that kids are either attending or thinking about.
- Contact the pediatrician for a copy of the kids immunization records – a lot of camps require this – especially overn
ight camps. - Work on a summer calendar laying out when each child is at camp or day care, and where. Mark off days when special events may be happening such as a festival or fair or day trip. This will give you a clearer idea of how the summer may be unfolding, as well as indicate empty spots you may need to fill if necessary.
- Start a ‘summer bucket list’ full of ideas and wishes for the summer. It could be brochures, brainstormed ideas, things you’ve always wanted to try. Use it to fill those days when you ‘have nothing to do’. You can use scraps of paper, a white board, sticky notes, a file folder, a mobile app. Whatever works to capture all the great ideas!
- Contact other families for ‘kid swap’ days. You know, those days when there’s no camp, you have things to do and your kids want a play date or need somewhere to be. It can be a formal situation where you track hours, or simply an “I’ll take your kid today if you take mine next week” deal.
- Stock up on sunscreen, bug spray, etc. before the shelves empty out!
- Go shopping for new swimsuits, pool towels, goggles, flip flops, coolers and everything else your kids have outgrown or lost since last summer.
- Create ‘go bags’ for the pool, the gym, camp or wherever you head out to. These bags should be stocked with everything you use on those trips except for perishable items so you can just grab and go when the mood strikes without frantic searches in closets and under the couch.
- Renew your memberships, and look for coupons or deals, to the zoo, the science centers, activities such as skating, bowling and more. Gather all of your membership cards and coupons in one place so you can access them quickly.
Take a deep breath and get ready…summer is supposed to be fun! Do some thoughtful planning now, and it just may be a great summer!
