Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 28

Summertime – Is it a Happy Time in Your House?

 

Summer time is fun, swimming, outdoors, no school, relaxing and everyone looks forward to it… right?

I can guess that is a 99% “YES” from the kids and about a 50% “Yes” from some moms… and 25% “It’s Not Bad” along with a 25% “I Can’t Stand Summer When All the Kids Are Home” from other moms.

I know many woman who dread summer. They either work at home, and when all the kids are home they have a hard time getting their work done OR

They work outside the house and having the kids home means finding babysitters and the guilt of not being able to be there to have fun with them in the summer.

The other thing I hear from so many is that their summer is a total unorganized crazy mess.  The kids get up at all hours, many times they will sit in front of the TV, the house is a mess, and things are in utter chaos.

There is nothing wrong with having guidelines, schedules and rules for the summer.  It won’t ruin anyone’s “free time”. Kids need routine and structure. Without it they can go a bit haywire.

My suggestions to have a less chaotic & more enjoyable Summer :

1) Have a time the kids must be awake by (don’t let them sleep away their summer)
2) Have a routine for breakfast. (Either you make breakfast, or the kids make their own)
3) Have rules/limits on the TV, internet & video games. (Our rule is they are all off during the day unless the weather is bad)
4) Make sure they keep up their skills during the summer. (The kids still have to read 1/2 hour per day & their Dad is requiring they walk to the library each day and read 1 article from the newspaper and are able to tell him about it when he gets home)
5) Make a list of activities they can do.  (So you don’t have to hear .. “I’m bored” all summer)
6) Give the list chores.  (In the summer my kids have 3 chores to do per day as compared to their normal 1 chore on school days. Cleaning their room is not an assigned chore, that is a requirement each day already)
7) Only allow the kids to have one drinking glass per day. (So they don’t grab a clean one each time they want a drink)
8) Make sure they get plenty of physical activity each day. Biking, running, swimming. (It will decrease the craziness inside the house if they can get their entry taken care of outside the house)
9) Have a reasonable bedtime. If their wake up time is going to be no later than 8am, then don’t have them going to bed at MN. Kids need plenty of sleep. (Our summertime bedtime is 10pm normally)
10) Don’t feel you have to do everything. There isn’t any reason the kids can’t help you and make summertime a more enjoyable time.

Be sure to check out my Featured Bloggers This Week.

Susan from Homeroad

Susan has made this cute pillows by using her printer!!

She did it by transferring!  You will have to read all about it on her blog post.  But I was amazed. I had no idea you could do that.

She has several more examples on her blog post and tells you how you can use Transfer Methods to make pillows.

Nisrine from iSavvyMom

She had a great post on organizing your car.

My favorite tip is to hang a bag and in the bag keep your grocery plastic bags. You will always have a trash can handy to keep your car clean.

Be sure to stop by and see some of her other tips on her blog called iSavvyMom

 

 

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab. 1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.
This link party will be open until July 3rd.

Summer Schedule – Kids Chores

Kids need routine – even in the summer

I believe this.  I think kids do better if they  know what to expect and what is expected of them.  I’m not saying that summer shouldn’t be fun.  I’m not saying that it has to be completely rigid without any give.  But I think there should be things that are done daily. (I don’t think this is only for the summer…but there is more free time during the summer).

Chores

I’ve said several times that I think kids should have chores.  But in the summer my kids have extra jobs.  I’ve done this post called, 1) “How Do you Get Your Child To do their Jobs?”  2)  “Should Kids Help in the House?” 3) “Kids Chores – Cleaning Buckets can Help” and 4)  Kids Chore Boards – Make Your Own.”

Here is an example of the Chores my kids have:

Normal routine:

Make Bed  -  Clean Room  and 1 other chore (set table, clear table, help in kitchen)

In the Summer

I will add 2 more jobs to their lists:

Vacuum, clean bathroom  (either sink, toilet or tub), dust, playroom in basement

My thoughts are this. It is our responsibility as parents to train our children so that they can be self sufficient when they are on their own.  I have 3 boys on their own now. They have thanked me. That says it all.

We do the jobs in the morning and get them over with.

What jobs do your kids do?