We are officially entering the first week of summer at our house. We started off with a full weekend – camping for my husband, time with my mom and the kids at the zoo for me, followed by my hubby’s birthday celebration today. I’m sitting on the couch typing this on my phone, because I feel a little too worn out to go get my computer. 🙃

Now I’m looking at tomorrow and trying not to overthink how my new normal will shift again. This is the first summer since college that I will be working. I’m enjoying my work and I’m thankful it is only part-time, but part of me is pondering how well this kids-being-home and working-from-home thing will go. We’re about to find out! 😉

One tool I’m looking forward to implementing that should help add some structure to this circus and limit screen time is our summer screen ticket. We come up with a list of daily chores and activities that we want the kids to complete before having any screen time for that day. Here’s a list of the usual things it includes:

⁃ 30 mins of reading

⁃ 30 mins outside time

⁃ Dishwasher job

⁃ Chores

⁃ 30 mins of playtime

⁃ And other things that aren’t coming to mind right now. 🙂

I just love systems and organization so much! Figuring out procedures and routines like this was always so fun to me when I taught elementary students. I’m excited to plan this with my husband this week. He will be with the kids while I’m working so I want to make sure that he’s on board with all of it. This summer we are also thinking of adding:

⁃ musical instrument practice

⁃ Tidying up your room

⁃ 10 minute family tidy

Alright, the last two are totally my ideas, but hopefully he will go for them too! I just love a peaceful, company-ready space so that we can have friends over without it being a major project to get ready.

I also am so passionate about this screen tickets/chore charts because I want my kids to develop the habit of caring for the home that they live in. I want them to build their cleaning, cooking, and stuff-management skills as they go so they go out equipped into the world one day.

A bonus for us would be to add in some allowance system with all of this. We’ll see how fancy we get!

So that’s what’s on my mind. What are you looking forward to as summer gets going? Are you doing a screen ticket or chore chart? What’s on your list?

May this change of season bring a positive change of pace to you and your family!

Ps – we do have fun summer goals in mind too! Not just a cleaner home. 😉 Maybe we’ll chat more about that another day.