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Our Summer Schedule: Strategies & Tools to Support Time Management With Your Kiddos
With the Summer months rolling in, it can be easy for us to lose track of our schedule - the kids are out of school and home all day, you may be off for summer break, or your schedule may look different if you are teaching summer school. With these changes comes an even greater need for time management, for both you and your kiddos!
Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter, not harder, so that you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high.
Time management requires you to think into the future to see what your job, the activity, the essay, etc. will look like when it is complete. This is a tricky task for some of our children, and even for some adults. As a future thinker, we are visually seeing ourselves prepare for the task, organizing it into steps, seeing ourselves in action, completing the task, and then cleaning up after we are finished.
Anchor Charts can be a great visual for kids both at home and in school to see what needs to get done, and when. These anchor charts are some of my favorites to introduce at the beginning of the summer to show my child the expectations, the plan, and the options they have!
Our Summer Schedule
Chunk the Day & Give Options
With our kids home all day, every day in the summer, it can be easy to fall into the "I'm bored and there's nothing to do" routine. It can often look like our kids are on the couch all day, the daily tasks are being pushed aside, and we, as parents, are upset that nothing is getting done around the house. Cue Our Summer Schedule ☀️
Break the day up into chunks to show your kids what the expectation is throughout the day. Giving options in each chunk makes your kiddos feel in control and empowered to do what they are wanting, while also being productive and getting daily tasks done!
*Create and choose a schedule that works for you and your family. No schedule is one-size-fits-all! Take what resonates and leave the rest.
Project Planning
Plan the Work, and then Work Your Plan
When a bigger activity or task comes up, work with your kiddos to plan the work:
What do you need in order to get ready for the project/activity/task? What are the materials you need to collect?
What are the steps that you need to take? What will you do first? Next? Then? Last?
What will it look like when it's done? How do you know that you're finished?
What do you need in order to get the job done?
Working with our kids is a great way to keep them in the loop and empower them to take the steps needed to complete a bigger task!
Time Robbers
What are some things that may steal away your time?
Time Robbers don't just occur at school. They also pop up at home!
Remind your kids that YOU have Time Robbers as well! As adults we spend time scrolling through social media, taking a long shower, binge watching Netflix, etc.
Use this time with your kids to not only talk about your Time Robbers, but what you can do to control those Time Robbers too!
These are just a few of many ideas to combat the "I'm bored" routine and to help get your kids on a schedule that works for them! Try them out with your kiddos and let us know how it goes!
You can access more anchor charts and ideas through my FREE Anchor Chart Bundle!
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