Summer on Schedule

Summer has officially started at my house!  I have been wondering how on Earth I'm going to make it through 10 weeks of craziness....the kids fighting, the messy house, us all being together 24/7....well, I made a summer schedule.  My second grader got to write it all out and is excited to "follow" it!  (he even left a little blank spot to the right of each numbered item to put a check mark, when we complete it! LOL)

The list that is working for us so far reads:

Summer List
1.  Breakfast / T.V wake-up time
2.  School work / craft time
3.  Chores and cleaning time
4.  Snack / FREE time
5.  Outdoor time or Errands
6.  lunch
7.  Nap or down time
8.  Free time
9.  Help with and eat dinner
10. Get ready for bed
11. Game and/or book
12  Bed

I know that it looks too structured, BUT there is lots of open/FREE time included.  I let them wake up and relax with some TV while I make them breakfast.  After breakfast, while we're still at the table, we dig out some "school" work.  This has been a word search and spelling puzzle book for Blake and a preschool sticker workbook for Taylor.  So far, they get started on the learning stuff and don't want to stop to help out around the house!  Go figure!  But since they know that as soon as we get the house picked up and their laundry put away...it can be FREE time and snack, they do a great job, and pretty quickly too!  If we have to go places then #4 and #5 usually run together or if we stay home, we swim or walk the dog before lunch.  After lunch is downtime for Blake and nap for Taylor.  They have been "getting quiet" pretty quickly because they know that the sooner they nap, the sooner they get to have MORE free time! After dinner, I have them go ahead and get ready for bed with baths, brushing of teeth, and pj's.  They do it with ease b/c they know that they get to play a game and read books afterwards.  The quicker they do the stuff that has to be done, the quicker they get to do what THEY want!  It works out for all of us!    Blake wakes up each morning and checks the list for the day...he loves to check things off.  He has even been asking me what chores I'd like him to do so that he can check it off....loving it  :)

Both kids busy at school time!