Do you all remember that ‘Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share’ song from your toddler/preschool years?
I’m sitting here a few weeks into summer break with my 9, 10, 11 year old and found myself yesterday humming the tune of its remembrance. I value being home with my tribe in the summer and connecting in the moments of home vibes together, and quickly am reminded that we are transitioning into a specific week of a new routine and that although it’s a shorter duration of time met with a lot of moving parts, that we can still find a rhythm to share in the house flow together.
We are the summer family that every week looks different, as we are either traveling, home with camp activities, or connecting and meeting up with friends, and it can feel hard to find a flow when we are out having adventures often.
A few house flow vibe tips that have helped our crew:
Beach towels, sandals, sunscreen, and pool toys hanging by the front door like a tornado threw them around for all to see…
Adventure is being shared in my days with my littles, and I want to embrace it with gratitude and not pick up frustration because of more things all over the house. This is part of developing a summer home vibe rhythm and if a cleanup song can guide little toddlers to learn to share responsibilities, then this mama can guide her troop in older years by being mindful of the same.
Summer brings MORE things being shared around every day and developing a clean-up/straighten-up rhythm every day can be beneficial for everyone to keep the adventures flowing with peace and not with a build-up of to-do house chores. Have each person do a walk-through sweep of the house after coming home from an adventure and at a certain point before the bedtime routine kicks in. Make it a fun game and get the kids to find what belongs to them and put it away.
Breakfast, snacks, lunch, more snacks (Oh, did I mention snacks on repeat every day like my children have developed an empty pit of a stomach?)…
Especially in these older years where kids truly are HUNGRIER and can handle MORE AND MORE food, talking about food options in the house with kids as part of weekly meal planning is just part of the week.
Set times when the Kitchen is open and when it is closed. Have kids help you with some snack/meal choices and then let kitchen time be a place of learning responsibility as they are able to make their own lunches/ snacks when the kitchen is open. I know some mamas love the basket snack option where each kid gets their own basket of snacks for the day, but I just have not tried that one out. My kids are at an age where making their own sandwiches is part of learning for them. Some have “approved snack options” on a list on the fridge and then kids can get certain snacks on the list.
Suitcases, home and on the road again; packing lists rotate out for us throughout the summer where the routines are about the transitions.
This is where a handwritten paper list shines as I just write out to-do lists for myself and for the kids with some checkboxes, and we all get it done together!
Kids can help pack and unpack if you give them a to-do list. This helps me with managing all of the moving parts of getting us out the door and then getting us adjusted back home. I give them lists of what to set out for packing and then I check items off before putting it in their bag – a huge time saver. Then they are good to go unpacking it and putting it back in their drawers on laundry day!
What are some of your summer home vibe tips that help with your changing schedule flow throughout the summer months?
