My kids have had a pretty stress-free and low-key summer. We didn’t take any crazy trips, they weren’t overbooked with camps, and they had minimum responsibilities (a small number of chores to do each day). They slept in, wore bathing suits all day, every day, and wore sunscreen perfume. It was a summer we all needed. It was space to breathe, time to be bored, and sunshine instead of screens.
If bedtime is a fight in my house, food might be bigger. Let me tell you how much I HATE packing lunches. My children are SO picky. L wants chicken nuggets every.single.meal. N doesn’t like sandwiches and only eats freshly made PB & Js and cut fruit. A isn’t hungry when she first wakes up, so getting her to eat a healthy breakfast is painstaking. However, when they live on breakfast dessert (as we call it in our house), primarily carbs (think Goldfish all day long), and little real protein… they are a mess. We are waking the kids up earlier so they have more time for a nutritious breakfast and packing more lunches this year. Period. End of Story (I hope).
Another area mentioned across all three articles was designating quality time to really talk and listen to our children. I typically catch up with my kids in the car as I shuttle them around. Honestly, I listen the best I can, but I am also concentrating on the road, worrying about how much time I have to get them to practice (and make dinner, pack lunches, clean something), and thinking about work. This year, I will prioritize ensuring that every child, every day, has my undivided attention to talk. We can talk about their day, friends, worries, choices they made, things they noticed, goals, questions, or whatever else is on their mind. I want them to know I am here. I want them to know that I am here when things are easy so that when it is not easy, they know they can talk to me.
It is time to face the fact that the lazy days of summer are just about gone (sigh). How our children start both school and their fall routines are largely up to us. I encourage you to read these articles and see if one or two ideas might help make your family’s year feel calmer and happier. I am also quite a fan of sunscreen perfume and grateful that while our fall days may be fuller, our summer weather will hold off pumpkin spice for just a bit longer.
In a few days, we return to the regular speed of life that we all needed a break from. Alarm clocks, sports practices, homework, so much more laundry, squeezed-in playdates, darker days, and rushed conversations in cars as we hustle from one place to the next will soon take over our lazy summer routine. Last night, I was trying to wrap my brain around next week’s schedule, and I found myself seeking out advice on how to manage school-year chaos, in an attempt to carry some of our summer ease into the new year.
The first is the importance of prioritizing sleep, exercise, and nutrition. We cover exercise at Tatnall with two designated recesses a day. I am confident that my three are moving their bodies during school. We will talk with our oldest two this weekend about their new school year bedtimes. This will probably not go well, but I will remind them that, as their parent, it is my job to keep them healthy and safe. We will aim to set an age-appropriate bedtime that takes precedence over “one more show,” “I forgot to ask for dessert,” “oh my gosh, I forgot about my homework,” and ensure that sports and activities wrap up with enough time to relax before bedtime. This will be challenging, but it was identified in all three articles as a top priority.
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