We’ve slipped into this routine of being late this Summer. And I know it’s going to hurt oh-so-bad when we have to jump head first back into being on time. On a schedule. No dinner at 6:30 or 7. No bed time at 9. I fear lots of headaches in a couple of weeks, for all of us. Up at 7 sharp, in uniform clothes with lunches packed and hair combed and out the door by 7:40.
I’ve let the kids take it SUPER easy this summer. But you know what? That is what my mom used to do. I don’t recall doing any studying or school related work while off for Summer vacation. We went to the pool and on vacation and we stayed up late, even got to watch The Tonight Show a few times. And while visiting at my Grandma’s, the house was so small and hot that it was just best for us all to go to bed at the same time… life was easy. I guess I figure it should be that way for my kids. They ARE only kids once.
Am I slacker? Are they? I don’t know. I just know that we are having a pretty fun Summer and my kids are mostly happy. Honestly, that’s all I really want for them.
Plus school starts soon enough (even three days a week for K!) and they’ll have learning and homework every day and week and in the evening I’ll be siting beside them with pencil and paper in hand…
p.s. The B Man has been charged with memorizing his multiplication tables before school starts and he is almost there… so see, we’ve done something… ahem.
p.p.s. OH! And my boys did have a lemonade stand while at my parents’ house (thanks Grandma for ALL the supplies) so that they could earn money for Legos (they even had a cute waitress). See? They’re kinda goal-oriented and enterprising!
p.p.p.s The final profit was $17 or so after I gave $1, my parents gave $2, the next door neighbors gave $2, some stranger gave $3 and a neighborhood friend gave $5. Okay, I know that doesn’t compute, but somehow they ended up with that much. Whatever works.
Eh, it’s summer, that’s what it’s about, yes?
I think you and your kids having been having a great summer. After adjusting they will do better in school this year having had such a super relaxed summer behind them!
I don’t blame you for taking it easy. Our big goal was to get Buddy tying his shoes really good (nice and tight) over the summer, and yet, school starts in one week and we haven’t worked on it at all. Mom fail.
I honestly think that having the free time to play, run around, and get bored is really good for kids. It makes them use their imagination and develop the skill of entertaining themselves. I see a lot of over-scheduled kids who don’t know how to do that.
There is nothing better than an old fashioned lemonade stand. Oh, how I wish we hadn’t overscheduled the kids this summer. Next summer, I swear I’m going to do better and remember that sometimes, less really is more.
My kids and I have been real lazy this summer too. I think you need to. Kids all work so hard during the school year, they need the break. All the learned will come back… right?
We will be in for a rude awakening as well when mine starts kindergarten next month. Although I’m aiming for 9:00 as bedtime when that starts! Lately it’s been 11:00 on average. Working mom that still wants to have summer fun so we head to the pool after work and have dinner at sunset. We probably made it worse by vacationing in California a couple of weeks ago and staying in the parks until midnight their time nearly a full week (which equals 2:00am our time!). Trying to start and push bedtime gradually earlier over the next couple of weeks.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. The only way I can imagine my kids doing any specific school-type learning/studying in the summer was if they were struggling with a subject during the school year. I say, “Good for you!”
Trust me, you are not alone!!! Our only rules are the strict 9pm bed time and 1pm nap time (for the little ones) / quiet time (for the big kids). Beyond that, it’s all about fun, fun, fun!!! That’s what summer is all about!
Summer is for skimping on routine. I would make a terrible tiger mom.
It’s summertime math! Go with it!
I had to get my girls back on a schedule this week for field hockey camp. We have to be out the door with their gear at 7:30 in the morning. It has been rough going. Can’t wait for next week when we don’t have a schedule to follow again. ;-)PJ day…here we come!!
Love the relaxed summer – and living (and loving!) it here, too!
Also? That’s so my kind of math! Hee! xo
If I was a SAHM our summer schedule would be pretty much like yours. That’s what summer is for. Even with working we’ve gotten a little lax, and after I get back from NYC we are going through a bedtime and morning routine boot camp to get back in shape before school starts.
That’s exactly what we’ve been doing this summer. We play when we want (or when it’s not too hot out), eat silly things for lunch and we’ve even had just cereal for dinner. Sounds like a great summer!
That is totally what summer is for! I am right there with you…just thinking of Andrew starting Kindergarten scares me! (Our preschool starts at 9:30 and I LOVE it!) I remember our only planned summer activity being the reading program at the library which was my favorite.