Scheduling: What To Do With Summer?

Well, in our scheduling series so far I've covered why scheduling is valuable and important, how I put together a schedule, about scheduling babies, what our past schedules have looked like with just a few kids, what to do with weekends, scheduling Christmas and Birthday shopping, and now how we schedule our summer time.  *smile*  

Since about 2002 when I was first introduced to Steve & Teri Maxwell's book, Managers Of Their Homes, I have delighted in applying those principles across our life.  I've learned how to be the manager of our home, not the only "do-er"; a supervisor, guide, and teacher, and since I'm not the only do-er I have time to do my role effectively.  And I have been able to orchestrate our home to flow smoothly for the most part.  Of course we have our times of stress, too, but it's not a life style.  Those times are short lived, and I can see what needs to happen in order to get back in to order and enjoyment together.  When life things throw us off, or if we choose to step out of our routine for a while, we can step right back in as soon as we are able or choose todo so.  Being in a weekly routine or schedule is a sweet place to be ~ even in the summer time.

It's tempting for parents to think, "It's summer!  *woo-hoo!*  Let's throw all structure to the wind and wing-it for 2-3 months!"  But especially if one has a large family, I personally have found that the wing-it plan was not very much fun at all.  *chuckle*  It was stressful, chaotic, and extremely frustrating because my expectations were then that I would have all this time to do what I wanted to do while the children just played.  This plan does not work well during the school year - and I discovered that it doesn't work well for summer either .  So then I had to learn what to do with our time during the summer.  I sought out and found some answers for us to these questions:

• How can we have a routine while still having enough time to play outside in the sunshine?
• What do we do on rainy days?
• Should I fill the children's time?  Don't they need a break completely?
• How long of a break do we take for summer?
• What if it's an extra hot day and water play is just about the only pleasant thing for the kids to do?
• Here's what our summer schedule looks like this year 2012! - And a description

How can we have a routine while still having enough time to play outside in the sunshine?
Having a routine does not mean being so structured that there is no free time!  No, no, no!  It means budgeting your time like you would budget your finances, making sure you have time for all of the necessary, the important, and the fun things!  Without sacrificing the necessary and the important.  *smile*  Sound nice?  It is so nice!  *beam!*  Being proactive with your time, not just reactive; controlling your time, instead of letting your time control you.   

In our schedule I make sure I have planned a good amount of time for the children to play outside.  But the children shouldn't just play all day long for the whole summer.  They still need to participate with the functioning of the family and home.  They live here and eat the food and dirty the clothes; they need to help with the responsibilities.  And really, expecting them to play outside for hours upon hours successfully (i.e. without breaking or destroying things, or hurting one another, but with obedience and good relationships - yes, this is possible *smile*) is not realistic for 2-3 months.  In my opinion and from my experience our children should have a few hours each day to be running and playing freely outside - so I make sure they have that with a good plan in place to enable it.

(...or just time to relax by yourself...*smile*)

What do we do on rainy days?
When I was first putting together our weekly schedules for the summer time I had large blocks of time marked off for playing outside.  But then when it was raining and the children did not want to play outside as much, I found myself inside the house with all of the children and without a plan for what to do with their time, and I thought to myself, "Oh no...now what??"  Again, the "Just go play" plan for hours was not fun for me or ultimately for them, either.  The children did not make choices that were pleasant or acceptable, and they could not manage their relationships independently for that long.  They needed some guidance in order to be successful, safe, and happy.

So I developed a strategy that has worked great for me in planning our family's weekly time for summer!  I'm pleased to share it with you.  What I do is put together a weekly routine for summer, just like I do for the rest of the year, except I combine two schedules in one - a sunny day schedule, and a rainy day schedule.  What I detail on paper is what our days will look like on rainy days, but I lightly shade the places of the schedule where the children will be outside if possible.  So the lightly shaded plans on our schedule would not be done if the children are outside playing, which is just fine because the activities I planned for that time are ones that we can easily skip.

 

Should I fill the children's time?  Don't they need a break completely?
Children need to learn to be productive members of a family and of society, and this is the time when those habits and expectations are established with them and when they build up their skills to do so.  We feel it is also good for people to have a break from the usual regiment of life for a couple of months between school years when the sun is out and we're able to enjoy it, especially here in Washington where it is rainy and wet much of the year outside of summer.  But that does not mean the children should not be productive and learning new things and improving their life skills as well.  So we plan elective-types of things for them to do, or skills to improve or learn.  Things like Spanish, cooking and baking, a more in depth Bible study, knitting, crocheting, card making, drawing, creative writing, sewing.  

We also have our children do math through the summer which maintains their skills and knowledge.  Math is so easy to lose a lot of ground in with too long of breaks, it takes a lot of time to catch up on, and is easily done a little bit each morning to avoid these problems.  

I have heard of more and more people, however, who are choosing to do homeschool year-round with their children, and then taking more and longer breaks through out the school year instead.  Same amount of school days per year, but breaks through out.  We're not there personally at this point, but I wouldn't be surprised if we chose this rout some time in the future, maybe when our children are older.  *smile*  Aah the blessings and freedom of homeschooling.

During the school year I make sure we are in our schedule at least 4 days of the 7-day week, so that it is the majority of our time.  We can reap the fruit, then, of that being our norm.  I found that if the kids are in a schedule only 3 days per week or less, they do not get in to a good, natural, easy habit.  It's more like being stuck in a Monday - always starting at the beginning and never getting in to a flow.  *smile*  But in the summer we don't worry about that so much.  In the summer our time is productively occupied, but with things that can easily fluctuate to fit the summer play opportunities.  We go out in Grandpa's boat when ever there is the opportunity with him, we go for walks, we have friends over to play in the yard, and we make strawberry lemonade and eat popsicles.  It's wonderful family time - and with a weekly schedule we're able to still maintaining a clean and orderly home. 

Also, with a summer schedule the children maintain an attitude of responsibility, productivity, and participation in the family's home and life, rather than getting in to a new habit of doing nothing.  You've probably heard it said, It takes 30 days to make or break a habit?  Well from my experience 2-3 months is plenty of time to get in to the habit of playing all day long instead of being responsible.  Which makes the fall season, then, really difficult not only with starting up with all of the academics of a new grade level, but trying to get out of the play-all-day mentality and in to productivity and contribution.  If we maintain some structure through out summer, the only thing we change in the fall is switching one set of activities for another.  It's really surprisingly smooth.  

In fact, the children so enjoy being in a consistent, predictable routine during the year that they actually look forward to the fall time and getting back in to the things we enjoy during that next season.  They recognize that it feels good to be productive.  I love it.

How long of a break do we take for summer?
When the children were little and we weren't in to junior high and now high school grades, we chose to have the same school year as the public school kids.  So we ended school the first week of June or so, and started again the beginning of Sept.  But for the last few years the oldest kids have been in upper grades and therefore need to be all the more on task about completing our curriculum for the year.  Also, we've been taking necessary time off during the year for my pregnancies or for having a newborn baby (or babies!) at home.  So we've been schooling a little longer than in the past, through June and then taking July and August off, starting up school again Sept. 1st.

This timing has really served us well anyway because the kids can't play outside in our yard very much yet in June due to the amount of rain (and/or the swampy back yard which hasn't dried out yet for the summer).  And really, two months of playing is plenty of time.  So far every year by the end of two months the kids have always started saying that they're bored, and can they start doing school again?  So - for us two months, July and August, has been perfect... Although I will say that I usually get a huge Spring fever bug myself in June, craving time to get extra things done and to have a break from the academics.  *chuckle*  So, school in June isn't quite as productive as it is the rest of the year.  *smile*

What if it's an extra hot day and water play is just about the only pleasant thing for the kids to do?

Great!  *laugh!*  I'm all for water play - how fun!  And because it's not something the kids get to do all the time, water play usually occupies their time beautifully and for unusually long periods of time.  It does take much more of my own time to manage and facilitate it, though.  Everyone needs suits, and the pool set up, and pool toys, and beach towels, including one inside the sliding glass door on the hard floor to prevent wet feet from slipping and slamming kids to the floor.  I need to help kids dry off a tiny bit before traipsing through the carpeted family room to the bathroom.  Remind kids that inside toys stay inside and outside toys stay outside.  Pushing someone on the swing to get them going.  Comforting kids owies when they slip, or bonk heads with someone, or get clobbered by the person swinging on the swings.  *wink*  I'm always surprised how much of my time it takes just to help the kids play outside!  *laugh*  But it's a good, fun day.  And we get back in to our regular plan when we're done.  (But this thinking is the exception, not the norm; and we can afford to skip things sometimes when they're done regularly the rest of the time.)

(drying off and warming up in the sun - cocoon kids *smile*)

Here's what our summer schedule looks like this year 2012!  - And a description (when it seems valuable)

I'm finally finished with our summer schedule for this year.  *cheer!*  Putting a new schedule together takes some time, but it's sooo worth it.  I've really made about a thousand decisions in advance through my schedule, and saved myself that time an energy for the whole summer.  Now all we have to do is follow our plan.  Nice.  Here's the schedule if you're interested in seeing it in detail, and then I'll explain it to you below.  (tip:  if you're visual like me, you may want to print the schedule so that you can follow along with me as I explain my strategies to you).

5:00 am - You can read about how I do my Bible time in the morning through my post, This Large Family Mother's Bibles Study - At Home.

5:30 - After my shower, "day prep." for me means making our bed; opening all of the house window blinds; bringing the laundry hamper down stairs, sorting clothes, and starting a load of laundry; putting away a few cooking dishes left out to dry in the kitchen from the previous night's dinner; glancing at the calendar for today; and also at my to-do list and desk (kitchen counter) for reminder notes to myself (if you like you can read my post on how I manage my time).

6:30 - I prepare Green Smoothies for my husband Bob and I, and warm some of the whole wheat rolls Karen has so lovingly baked for us, then clean up the kitchen.  Karen and Melanie both get up and do their Bible time the same way I do mine, reading and studying with their study Bible.

7:00 - More "day prep" for me means talking with Bob about things before he leaves for work, and checking email real quick just to see what is on my plate for later that day.  Do I have any emails from family or a close friend that I need to answer quickly right now?  Are there any longer ones to read later or to flag to be read when I have more free time?  And deleting any junk mail.  Email is my primary source of communication with the outside world *laugh*, so I am faithful to check it every day.  I just don't have time to talk on the phone generally, plus it's too loud anyway.  *laugh*

7:30 - This is when I wake up the younger 7 children, and it takes about 90 min. from this point to get them all up, dressed, hair and teeth brushed, beds made, laundry put in to hampers, pants changed, pull-ups and diapers into the trash, any wet beds stripped and re-made, chase a few toys back in to the play room where they need to stay until homeschooling is over (so kids aren't distracted even more easily), prompt the "middle kids" (ages 9, 6, 5) to get their one morning job done and then sit up to the table to start their school work while they wait for their breakfast.  It's a busy but sweet time - and I always feel that I've accomplished something when we're through.  *laugh*  *smile*  It's very busy staying on top of the three middle kids and simultaneously managing the four youngest ones.  But it's doable when I take each of the youngest from their beds one at a time, sing to them as we work and get them all ready, and then deposit them each strait in to their booster seat at the table where they'll await breakfast.  And Karen (13) and Melanie (12) are in and out of their showers, busy with their own morning charts and weekly cleaning jobs, getting started with math or Bible study, and visiting with siblings as they arrive in the kitchen.  

Now - real life - I'm also managing squabbles, strongly suggesting that kids get back to their job/school/shower, asking them if other people's disobedience is any of their business, reminding middle kids where they ought to be, and asking Karen and Melanie if their morning chart is completely checked off yet.  *wink*  Just FYI.

8:00 - This looks like a large block of time for jobs on the schedule, but actually it's only about half-an-hour.  It's spread out because the girls do not do the same job every day of the week, they do one of 5 jobs (although they have those same 5 jobs all year) so I list here what they are to do and when.  The boys, I've found, do better so far with one longer job than changing varying jobs.  So their job of setting up the pack-n-plays and play yards, with the activities that the younger children will need in those play areas, takes about the same amount of time as the girls spend on one of their jobs.

I've was asked regarding the Family Participation: Chores for Kids post if our kids have their one cleaning job plus other around-the-house jobs?  Yes, they do, it just didn't show up on the chart in that post.  I put those things in this chart for people to see.  They do one cleaning job per day, and then some other family-support, daily jobs.  During this 8:00 time I also put in that the oldest 2 girls do a morning chart every day.  Here's what that looks like, on our refrigerator.

9:00 - Everyone is finally at the table, and I prepare Green Smoothies (same recipe as for mine and Bob's breakfast at 6:30 am) for breakfast for all the kids.  Karen (13) and Melanie (12) help me with breakfast by also serving the whole wheat rolls (also linked to above) and cut up fruit.  Then the three of us clean everyone up and get them down to move in to the next activities.  (I intentionally have everyone stay at the table until we are all cleaned up and ready to leave the kitchen as a group so that I'm not trying to manage kids while cleaning up simultaneously.)  

You may notice that pretty often in my section of the schedule, such as in this one, it says "facilitate".  This is me being a manager, which take all of my time and energy; keeping the "plates spinning" with all of the kids.  It doesn't mean that I sit back and watch them all work, just so we're clear.  *chuckle*  It means that I am pretty much always moving about the house and talking to everyone, coaching and instructing, checking and holding accountable, inspecting and moving everyone along.  This has been a fundamental thing for me to learn to do - compared to trying to do everything myself while trying to manage kids who are unoccupied and causing problems.  It's like some some people have said that while their husband is driving the car he likes to keep the car moving at all times (even if it means taking detours to go around traffic or creep slowly up to a stop light instead of pulling all the way up and then sitting there waiting *chuckle*).  Well my personal phrase is, Keep the kids occupied at all times.  Now this doesn't mean working at all times!  It usually means doing school, playing, or doing something productive - but it does mean that they're doing something specific; not getting bored - which produces disobedience and danger.

10:30 - The kids and I will do Character First together, which is a short, simple curriculum to teach character qualities to kids (and parents!).  It's fundamental for our homeschooling and our family.  We actually haven't been able to do this curriculum during our regular school year for a few years now due to having back-to-back pregnancies and newborn babies, including our twins; so I've been making sure we get it in during the summer months until we can add it back in to our regular curriculum during the year.

Also during this 10:00-12:00 time block, Karen (13) and I share the responsibility of moving the youngest four muffins between their activities every 30-60 minutes, monitoring their times using digital timers. 

I chose to put in bold type the academic or skill-developing activities the children are doing throughout the schedule so that I can see what we're accomplishing this summer in addition to having play and work times.  This is just a good visual reminder and encouragement to me personally.  And I planned these activities to be in the beginning of the day so that they're sure to get done every day before kids go outside to play.  Responsibilities first, then play time, for everyone including the Mom (that's another reason why we schedule).

11:00 - Karen and Melanie will be doing a character study this summer called Beautiful Girlhood, with a Companion Guide to go with it.  This is a widely read and highly recommended book amongst discipleship-minded families, also sold and recommended by Vision Forum Ministries.  They will do the study at this time, and then we'll discuss it together at 2:00 during the youngest children's' nap time.

11:30 - During these lightly shaded times, for 3 hrs. between 11:30-1:00, and again between 4:30-6:30 are the planed times to be outside playing if it's dry.  If it's raining, then we'll do the activities detailed on the schedule during those shaded times.  Sunny-day schedule, and rainy-day schedule.  *smile*  

This is a good amount of time to be outside, while not being so much that the kids get bored in the yard.  We're not on the go very much right now when there are so many real little ones to manage.  That is a lot of work.  So we reserve those being-out-and-about times to do together with Daddy.  So most of the kids' outside time is in the back yard, or on the bike trail by our house, or out in Grandpa's boat and on the beaches of the San Juan Islands of Puget Sound with Grandpa and the cousins.

1:00 - Here is one of those places where you can see that people have some additional daily jobs to their one cleaning job.  Karen and Melanie help with the serving and clean up of the meal with me; Brandon (9) and Anna Marie (6) sweep the kitchen together after lunch; and Riley (5) helps tidy up the family room (couch pillows, left over toys).  

4:00 - This is our only snack time of the day.  I've had many moms ask me about how we manage snack times during the day with so many kids, as they've found that kids desiring snacks constantly is a real problem and a time waster.  In our house I serve food 4 times a day, which includes one snack time.  I also, however, always serve food of high value - whole grains, protein, nuts, vegetables and fruits - so the children are really full and satisfied all day between meals.  Kids desiring snacks all day are probably doing it for one of three reasons:  they're not getting enough "whole foods", or (similarly) they are having too much sugar, or they've simply developed a habit of eating this way (not eating large meals when it's time and therefore desiring to snack often between meals).

6:30 - The oldest 7 kids have small jobs during this time just before dinner. 

• Karen (13) helps with the finishing of preparing food and getting hot dishes on to the table.
• Melanie (12) fills all of the water glasses and sippy cups.
• Brandon (9) removes all of the kids nine 24 oz. water bottles from the table and empties them out to dry at night.
• Anna Marie (6) sets the silverware.
• Riley (5) puts condiments on the table.
• Tyler (3) and Spencer (2) set napkins on the table (or in the general vicinity of the table *chuckle* - but they love having their job, too).

So we carry our scheduling blessings in to the summer months with us as well as during the school year!  There is a time for everything - the work gets done, we have time with the Lord, there's time for exercise and play and story times with the children, and we all get enough sleep.  We love doing life ON PURPOSE.  *smile*  I hope you've found encouragement somewhere through this glimpse in to our up-coming summer life for 2012.

I'd really love to hear about how you structure your own summer time!  What strategies have you implemented that you think could really bless other large (or small) families to know about?

Blessings on your efforts this summer!

Recommended Resource:

Managers Of Their Homes, by Steve & Teri Maxwell

You might also enjoy reading my posts:

(Why to schedule?)  You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too, Part 1 of 2

Scheduling For Fall - How I Create Our Schedules

Scheduling Babies

Scheduling:  Just a Few Kids

Scheduling:  What To Do With Weekends?

Scheduling Christmas & Birthday Shopping