This Is How We DO Summertime Around Here

Posted May 28, 2021 by Prairie Wife -

It’s officially Summertime around here.

The last day of school was yesterday and trust me when say we were READY.

But…I know the next few weeks will not be easy.

This is NOT my first rodeo and I am well aware that it’s going to be an adjustment to go from all 5 Cowkids at school all day and then running back and forth to sports to 5 Cowkids at home…

All.

Day.

Long.

There will be fighting, there will be whining, there will be a chorus of “I’m bored” coming from 78 different directions daily.

I know I’ll feel stressed because I won’t have my hour or so of quiet alone time every few days between work and the rush of Cowids jumping off the bus and wanting snacks and needing to get loaded up to go to practice.

I will get completely and utterly behind on watching all my TV shows.

But that’s okay.

I know we’ll find our rhythm after a bit.

It will take a few lectures.

For example, I’ve already used this one “If it’s only fun for one person it’s not fun” (otherwise known as don’t be a bully) and I’m sure the “Our home is a safe place” lecture WILL be needed.

I will need to remember to let them help even if it makes whatever I’m doing take 500 times longer.

But despite all this, I am SO looking forward to all the good stuff about Summertime.

Time playing in the water, long hikes in the mountains, watching family movies and staying up way too late, road trips and camping, suntans and laughter…oh my goodness I can’t wait.

I’ve had a few people reach out to me recently and ask how I schedule our lives to fit everything in.

While I definitely have a few tricks I’ll gather up and post about soon, I have one big secret for how I run our Summers.

I don’t plan anything.

Sure I have work obligations, and the Cowkids have a few two-day sports camps here and there, but that’s it.

No summer camps or swim lessons.

No sports teams with an obligated number of practices and games to make.

No weekly summer movies.

The first year I did this was out of necessity.

I had just had my first preventive mastectomy surgery and I had no idea what I would be able to do so I didn’t sign us up for anything.

And it was amazing.

When someone asked if we could go to the lake, or have a picnic at the park or come over for a BBQ, 9 times out of 10 we could say yes.

We had afternoons of impromptu slip and slide parties with friends, and visits with friends in town were long and enjoyable instead of rushed.

Granted, this year will be a bit different with Cowboy J having a job (and driving) and Summer sports practices at 6 am that he loves to go to (whose kid IS this anyway), but we knew this time was coming right?

And lest you think the Cowkids get to roam free and have unlimited TV and Tech time I assure you no…they still have chores and summer homeschool.

To keep things a bit focused we also have a “Summer To-Do List” where we list the things we’d like to make sure happen.

We also have a chore bag (a zip lock bag full of above and beyond chores I want to tackle) and a fun bag (fun things to do as a reward when the chore from the chore bag is done) that we use a few times a week.

But, for me, Summertime is about letting a few things go (like a clean house and showering on the regular) and embracing a whole lot of quality time with my family and friends.

This is how we DO Summertime around here…and I can’t wait to get going!

What about you?

Do you like to keep your Summer open, or do you like to have structure?

Categories: Life As It Happens, Parenting

Tags: , kids home for summer, parenting, summer is here, summer on the prairie, summer schedule, summertime, what to do for summer