Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 28

Summer time is fun, swimming, outdoors, no school, relaxing in your enclosed patio and everyone looks forward to it… right? I can guess that is a 99% “YES” from the kids and about a 50% “Yes” from some moms… and 25% “It’s Not Bad” along with a 25% “I Can’t Stand Summer When All the Kids Are Home” from other moms.

I know many woman who dread summer. They either work at home, and when all the kids are home they have a hard time getting their work done ORThey work outside the house and having the kids home means finding babysitters and the guilt of not being able to be there to have fun with them in the summer.

The other thing I hear from so many is that their summer is a total unorganized crazy mess. The kids get up at all hours, many times they will sit in front of the TV, the house is a mess, and things are in utter chaos.

There is nothing wrong with having guidelines like our write for us guidelines, schedules and rules for the summer. It won’t ruin anyone’s “free time”. Kids need routine and structure. Without it they can go a bit haywire.

My suggestions to have a less chaotic & more enjoyable Summer :

1) Have a time the kids must be awake by (don’t let them sleep away their summer)
2) Have a routine for breakfast. (Either you make breakfast, or the kids make their own)
3) Have rules/limits on the TV, internet & video games. (Our rule is they are all off during the day unless the weather is bad)
4) Make sure they keep up their skills during the summer. (The kids still have to read 1/2 hour per day & their Dad is requiring they walk to the library each day and read 1 article from the newspaper and are able to tell him about it when he gets home)
5) Make a list of activities they can do. (So you don’t have to hear .. “I’m bored” all summer)
6) Give the list chores. (In the summer my kids have 3 chores to do per day as compared to their normal 1 chore on school days. Cleaning their room is not an assigned chore, that is a requirement each day already)
7) Only allow the kids to have one drinking glass per day. (So they don’t grab a clean one each time they want a drink)
8) Make sure they get plenty of physical activity each day. Biking, running, swimming. (It will decrease the craziness inside the house if they can get their entry taken care of outside the house)
9) Have a reasonable bedtime. If their wake up time is going to be no later than 8am, then don’t have them going to bed at MN. Kids need plenty of sleep. (Our summertime bedtime is 10pm normally)
10) Don’t feel you have to do everything. There isn’t any reason the kids can’t help you and make summertime a more enjoyable time.

Be sure to check out my Featured Bloggers This Week.

Susan has made this cute pillows by using her printer!!

She did it by transferring! You will have to read all about it on her blog post. But I was amazed. I had no idea you could do that.

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.