MUM is the magic part of sMUMmer
1 tip for you, 1 tip for your kids and 1 tip for the family to prepare for the impending change of routine
Bet you didn’t know that MUM was part of summer. I can see why. It can easily feel like a never ending party for kids while you try to maintain normal working hours and execute a carefully crafted camp schedule or end up as the 24/7 entertainment yourself!
But MUM is part of summer – you just have to squeeze her in and I'm going to show you some easy ways to do that. Sidenote: tips below also work for dads, or any parents, but couldn’t figure out a witty name, and come on, sMUMmer is great no?
Over here school is out for 7 weeks, but the current excitement levels make it feel like summer break is going to start tomorrow even though I still have 2 weeks of “normal life” ahead of me. And I just got off the phone with my sister in the US, 12 weeks for her - JEEZ! How will one stay sane??
Needless to say, it’s a busy time, so this one is quick with 1 tip for you, 1 tip for your kids and 1 tip for the family to prepare for the impending change of routine.
Wake up before your kids
I hear you, “The days are longer, my kids go to bed later, I go to bed later, so no thank you. I am getting in all the extra minutes I can in the morning. Next!” But not so fast, or at least, hear me out.
Have you heard of The 5AM Club? It’s a book by Robin Sharma goes into the benefits of a 1-hour morning routine: 20 minutes intense exercise, 20 minutes reflecting on goals, 20 minutes of learning a new skill.
I decided to give it a try, in my own way. For the past months, my alarm has been set for 5:17 a couple days a week. I don’t follow the 20/20/20 schedule. I work, because 1. I like to exercise during the day with my husband or as a break. 2. At this point in my life work is super fun and synonymous with reflecting on goals and learning new skills. I also don’t do it everyday, if I get to bed too late or it’s the weekend there is no 5am club for me. However, 100% of the time that I get up before my kids, I am happier, more connected with them, and less stressed throughout the entire day.
Here are my recommendations:
Leave your phone on the nightstand in sleep mode. This time is for self, not admin, not responding to texts, not jumping into your day early, but “bonus time” purely for you. Sit outside, read a book, sip a coffee, journal, do yoga, take a shower, do your hair, whatever just make it something for you.
Aim for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Under 30 minutes is frustrating – you are just getting into your thing and then “waahhh,” a baby screams and it’s over. But anything more than 20 minutes and I felt the benefits.
Will you give it a try? Worst case scenario you only lost 30 minutes of sleep.
And if you’re wondering, “What time does the 5am club go to bed?” The answer is, around 9-9:30 PM to make sure you are fast asleep by 10PM and get your 7 hours of quality sleep in.
Work on a life skill
If your house is anything like mine in the morning, I usually don’t have time for my 3 yr old to get dressed on her own, or my 6 yr old to prepare his breakfast. But they really want to. And I plan to take advantage of a summer schedule with later start times and less times in general to allow this space for development.
These skills, which I am calling “life skills”, are those that give children responsibility and autonomy. Picking up toys, making their bed, setting the table, getting dressed, putting away their laundry, preparing their toothbrush, buttoning their sweater, making their breakfast, brushing their hair, tying their shoes, helping with meal prep, packing their bag for vacation.
Some may seem like chores to you, and maybe some are, but being “a citizen of the household” as my mom always told us, is a privilege and a responsibility. Kids love to have a job, to be a part of things, to help out. So choose one or two age-appropriate life skills and make the time to work on those this summer.
Maintain (some) routines
Summer is a break. It’s the time between two different age groups at day care or years in school. It often includes vacation, visiting new places, or at the very least (which still is huge for a kid) a change in routine or a change of scenery. Kids might feel anxious during this time because they love routine and stability. And while it’s nice to be more relaxed, and spontaneously take them to the pool after work, it’s good to try to maintain some routines, too.
Consistent bedtimes: give or take 30 minutes, but no more. Sleep is sooo important. This interesting study looks at differences in structured days and summer days and why kids tend to gain weight during summer - spoiler alert, sleep and schedules are important!
Commit to some activities that you can maintain wherever you are. Breakfast for dinner Tuesdays, bedtime books outside on Wednesdays, board game night on Monday - rotating week for who picks the game! You get the idea, don’t make it complicated, just make it reliable.
You can also help kids know what's coming up with a calendar. Just draw some squares on a piece of paper and have fun. Older kids can write words or maybe just numbers, medium ones can do their own drawings, and the littlest ones can look at your drawings.
I hope that these ideas can help you have fun this sMUMmer. I would love to hear from you, what are your summer routines to maintain sanity?
Sunnies on & heading out,
Erica