New Season, New Schedule
By Emily Mall —
Jun 21, 2024
If you’re a parent or caregiver, you’re likely knee deep in navigating the transition from school schedules to summer schedules right now. Maybe you’ve signed up for camps months ago, planned a family trip or activity, and have already scheduled and traded play dates with other families. Transitions are hard, even for the most prepared! Check out The Great Job Podcast episode where Dan and I discuss seasonal transitions with Pivotal kids in Episode 8: Habits and Goal Setting on Spotify or where ever you enjoy podcasts.
Just like with any vacation, summer break has its own before and after adjustment period.
As a kid (like, 30+ years ago, ya’ll), I don’t remember the transition being such a tumultuous time. We woke up late and ate giant bowls of cereal while watching whatever cartoons were on Nickelodeon. Around lunch, we’d make PB & J sandwiches and play outside (usually with neighbor friends who were also outside). We’d read or make things in the afternoon, and then have dinner with the family, and watch prime time TV until bedtime. We’d go to our friends houses on the weekends or join them at a local farm or fun activity. The only camps we attended were a week long, once or twice during our summer break.
Since I am in charge of my kids summers, I’ve spent the last few years making sure they were fully enrolled in any type of day care or camps during the summer, especially since they were so young and needed constant supervision. However, now that they are older, our Pivotal kids can spend longer amounts on their own. They can be home during the day while we work. They can make their own meals, find their own entertainment, and enjoy a lazy summer. I’m finding myself battling between wanting them to be busy and active with their friends all day and wanting them to have time to be bored, explore, get creative or inventive, and have time to themselves to just chill. Thus, this summer in our household, we’ve settled on a little bit of both. 😋
Whether you keep your kids home all day, have your kids in camp all day, or do a bit of both this summer, it’s all normal. What is right for your family will look different than other families, and that’s OKAY!
This week: Hold your kids summer schedules up to your Family Values. (If you haven’t figure out what they are yet, get your free Family Values Worksheet here!) Are you practicing your family values? For example, if one of your family values is adventure, where is adventure scheduled? If one of them is education, where are there times the kids are doing enrichment activities? If it’s courage, is there anything scheduled that’s scary or new to try? Pick one family value that you’d like to practice this summer, and plan/adjust your summer schedule accordingly!
You are doing a Great Job, ya’ll!
Read this next
mom friend aunt coach advisor nanny cousin babysitter neighbor mom godmother doctor grandma dad grandpa uncle mentor therapist sister teacher godfather tutor other
doctor mom coach advisor grandpa grandma babysitter aunt nanny therapist uncle godmother godfather sister dad neighbor brother mentor friend tutor cousin teacher
babysitter therapist advisor cousin godfather dad neighbor teacher nanny mentor brother doctor friend uncle sister tutor grandpa aunt grandma coach mom godmother
advisor friend doctor godfather mentor mom godmother uncle grandma tutor sister neighbor therapist babysitter brother aunt Mom teacher cousin dad nanny coach
mom friend aunt coach advisor nanny cousin babysitter neighbor godmother doctor grandma dad grandpa uncle mentor therapist sister teacher godfather tutor brother
coach mom godfather uncle mentor teacher friend sister godmother therapist tutor advisor babysitter dad grandma cousin doctor nanny neighbor aunt uncle brother
coach friend neighbor advisor grandpa aunt mom uncle babysitter grandma godmother cousin godfather brother doctor nanny sister teacher tutor dad mentor therapist
mom friend dad coach advisor nanny cousin babysitter neighbor godmother doctor grandma dad grandpa uncle mentor therapist sister teacher godfather tutor brother
advisor friend doctor godfather mentor mom godmother uncle grandma dad tutor sister neighbor therapist babysitter brother aunt Mom teacher cousin dad nanny coach
mentor teacher neighbor therapist grandma uncle mom coach nanny tutor friend aunt dad babysitter brother doctor godmother sister advisor grandpa godfather cousin
mom friend aunt coach advisor nanny cousin babysitter neighbor godmother doctor grandma dad grandpa uncle mentor therapist sister teacher godfather tutor brother
doctor dad coach mom aunt friend grandpa grandma babysitter teacher uncle nanny tutor cousin godfather therapist neighbor sister godmother advisor brother mentor
mom friend aunt coach advisor nanny cousin babysitter neighbor godmother doctor grandma dad grandpa uncle mentor therapist sister teacher godfather tutor brother
coach mom godfather uncle mentor teacher friend sister godmother therapist tutor advisor babysitter dad grandma cousin doctor nanny neighbor aunt uncle brother