…and if you have kids, the start of summer can evoke all kinds of emotions.

I have friends in two camps.

Some (slightly) dread having their children home for summer because days become long and entertaining them can be hard.

Some LOVE having their kids home so they can play all the time and they are so sad when school starts again.

What camp are you in?! 🏕️

No judgement here…

…well, maybe a little bit of judgement but I’ll keep it to myself. 😉

I’m split between the two camps and it’s because between last summer and this summer, we started a little business. 💁🏻‍♀️

Working from home is hard when your kids are home and you just want to go have fun!

This first week of summer went great and I’m here to report why.

We had a routine!

But unlike the chore charts on my fridge that never get looked at, I made it more lax and simple.

Steve and I get up at 7 am and get going on our day – I know there are some 5 am-ers out there…but we just ain’t morning people, k?

When the kids get up, there are 4 things they need to accomplish before they can ask for anything.

1. Breakfast. During the school year, Steve is amazing at getting up and making a hot breakfast for anyone that wants it. In the summer, we let them prove their independence by having them make their own breakfast and they’re getting pretty dang good at eggs!
2. Chores. I wrote a list of all the chores in the house that I wanted to get done in the week and let the kids pick two off the list every day. They can’t “call” the chores they want, they have to complete one before they can choose another, which makes it so everyone can get an “easy” chore. Somehow no one wanted sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor and my shoes are starting to stick…just kidding…that would be gross…but also, I’m not kidding, I just don’t know how you’re going to react to the state of my kitchen floor.
3. Reading. Everyone has reading everyday of the summer. I love it because we are at the stage where everyone is an independent reader and most kids will read without me having to twist their arm.
4. Workout. I call it working out but they’re kids so any type of movement for an hour counts – jumping on the tramp, walking the dogs, riding their bike etc.

After all that, it’s time for fun! I bought a pack of the reusable water balloons on Amazon and we’re fans!

And we’ve only lost 3, so that’s great. 🙄

But, all I’m trying to say here, is it’s a lot like our Play, Snuggle, Sleep, Repeat routine, but for summer and week one has felt wildly successful!

If you want to feel successful as a parent, start with creating routines – even simple ones – that promote consistency and stability for your kids.

And if you don’t know where to start…start with bedtime!

We are all about an intentional, screen-free bedtime that fosters connection and strengthens families.

Read, snuggle, journal, and connect. ❤️

And if you you want a little something more, some night-time coloring might be your thang!