With summer about to hit in only a month’s time, every one in your household is most likely excited about the much needed break. Before summer actually arrives, it can’t hurt to start planning the activities and what everyone has going on. Depending on the ages of your children, it could quickly become a jungle of camps, outings, trips, and vacations before you know it! Starting now can take a lot of the hassle out of the equation!
Get Dates on Paper
First and foremost, check in with your kids a few times to ask if there is anything on their calendar now. They may be hoping to do a few outings with friends, or may have some sport or extracurricular activities going on. Get these dates on paper or on your phone, so you can easily access it later when you start planning. And as you already know, it can’t hurt to also ask your kids multiple times throughout the month, as it’s easy enough for them to forget a date or an event until the last minute.
If there’s anything on your or your partner’s calendar, make sure you get these dates down as well before these dates get lost in the shuffle. To be extra on top of things, you can also ask your parents and partner’s parents if there are any doctor’s appointments, operations, or something fun like a family reunion that may be coming up over the summer months too.
Start Planning
Once it looks like you have all the dates from every member of the family, now it’s time to start planning! Depending on how busy your summer already looks, start finding those gaps of a few days to weeks off, and start asking the family what they would like to do or accomplish over the summer. Do you live near a beach and want some time in the sun? Or do you not live near a beach but still want to make that trip happen? See what your kids are really looking forward to, and try to make those a priority when starting to schedule. Even “pencil” these events in on your phone or paper so that there can be some time set aside for things before everything fills up and you’re left with a few scattered days.
Make a Date
Depending on your availability and how much traveling you’re doing, you can also start putting in the time off requests at work, and making sure people know your plans. If you have pets at home, start asking around for sitters, and if you and your partner are wanting to have a weekend together, start asking around for a babysitter too! Happy Summer!
Katie Kyzivat