Truth be told, I’ve always been a “school year” kind of gal; I see the world as if I still had a school year myself. That means I think of September through June as the time when life is supposed to be intense and go at a fast pace. But come mid-June, my mind goes into summer mode and I want to slow down.
So this summer, in the spirit of being more relaxed, there are things I’m not going to do, like these five things:
1. Leave the house too early. During the school year, we’re out the door every morning at 7:20 sharp. Now that it’s summer, we’re going to meander a bit in the morning so none of us feel like we have to race out the door…because we don’t!
2. Have a plan every day. With two kids in two different schools, I’m forced to have a well-planned school week to ensure that both kids get to where they need to go on time. This summer, I’m counting on having some days when we figure out the plan as we go. That may mean the kids play at home all morning, watch too much TV, or go to day camp.
3. Worry about bedtime. I’m relentless about the kids going to sleep on time during the school year, but during the summer the kids may go to sleep a little late. We’ve got swimming to do and ice cream to eat. Hopefully the kids will learn to sleep a bit later, too, because I plan on sleeping in myself.
4. Run too many errands. I’m sure I’m not the only mom who feels like she spends her life running around in search of soccer cleats, birthday presents, and school supplies. So this summer I’m taking a break from running around to buy anything. If I can’t buy it online, it may have to wait until September.
5. Spend too much time inside. When I’m not driving my kids around, I’m working in front of a computer. But now that it’s summer, I want to feel like it’s summer. That means I want to be out in the sun or swimming in the pool. I can spend my day in front of the computer after Labor Day. Right now, I’d prefer to catch some rays.
While there’s a lot of things I’m not going to do this summer, there’s one thing I’m going to do as much as possible. I’m going to have some silly summer fun with my kiddos and enjoy some unscheduled days when relaxing and having fun is first on the agenda. I can’t wait!
