S.U.M.M.E.R. Time

Posted by Melissa | 0 comments

I’m not sure who’s more excited about summer break–my children or me! Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy homeschooling, but by the end of May, I’m ready for a big break. I know most homeschooling moms can relate.

Although the schoolwork will be ending soon for us, other important work needs to begin. While I definitely take time in the summer months to relax and slow down the pace of life, I purposefully use our summer break as a time to work on tasks that have been neglected the rest of the year. Here’s some good reminders with an easy-to-remember acronym for using your S.U.M.M.E.R. time wisely.

Set some goals and plans. Put into writing the things you hope to accomplish during your summer months. Walk through your house room by room and begin a list of things you’d like to get in order. And then post this somewhere you’ll see often. Don’t forget to hone in on your homeschool zone the last few weeks of summer, tending to preparations for the upcoming year.

In addition to your space, think through your relationships. Maybe you’d like to grow closer with your children or a friend, or have more time alone with your husband. Plan for that. Include your children in setting goals, too. If they’re old enough to set their own goals, let them. Or for the younger kiddos, set some attainable goals for them, like reading a certain number of books, being able to name all the backyard birds or learning a foreign language.

Unclutter your space. Whether it’s a few drawers, a closet or the whole house, we all have spaces that could use a good old-fashioned purge. Go through those spaces and get rid of stuff. Less stuff means less work keeping it all organized the rest of the year. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit or aren’t worn, toys that have been outgrown, and other stuff that you don’t use or love. Enlist the help of a friend. Sometimes a fresh eye can see solutions we miss. Summer is the perfect time to organize and re-organize.

Make everyday count toward your goals and plans. Summer will fly by no matter how much time you take off. You don’t want to start back to homeschool wondering where the time went. Even if you just accomplish one small thing each day, you’ll be that much closer to achieving your goals. Try to establish some semblance of routine for summer, however simple it may be, to ensure you’re using your time wisely.

photo courtesy Janet of The Well Rounded Mama

Make some memories. If you’re planning a summer vacation, the memories will happen. But you don’t have to leave home to create some special memories for your family. I have fond memories of eating lots of Popsicles, roasting marshmallows and running barefoot every summer. Here are a few fun ideas to get you started planning fun into your summer:

• Make homemade ice cream.
• Create a theme day one day a week, like “Wear and Eat Orange Day”
• Camp out in the backyard.
• Run through the sprinklers.
• Eat breakfast outside.
• Wear your swimsuits all day.
• Be a tourist in your town.
• Create a scavenger hunt.
• Go to the county fair.
• Visit a museum.
• Visit your library weekly.
• Ask your kids for more ideas–I guarantee they’ll have lots!

Evaluate your year. I usually look back on the academic portion of our year while I plan in the spring, but summer is a perfect time for evaluating everything else in life: marriage, parenting, finances, schedules, ministry and volunteer work, hobbies, etc. Pray and seek the Lord’s guidance. Are your priorities in the right place? How’s your marriage? Are your outside commitments putting too much pressure on your time and your energy? Are there heart issues you need to address, in yourself or your children? If it’s overwhelming to think through everything, just ask yourself what’s irritating you the most or what area in life has the most stress. Then work backwards from there.

Renew your mind. The easy routine of summer is the perfect time to start or increase your habit of time with the Lord in his Word. That’s the first and best way to renew your mind. I love how the New Living Translation puts Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” Also, read good books that will encourage and challenge you in all aspects of your life, but especially in areas where you’re struggling. This is a great way to stay refreshed and keep your vision strong.

It’s sure nice to have a change of pace come June. Make the most of these long days of summer so that when you start back to school in August, you’ll be ready. Both in your home and in your heart.

Melissa Morgner is a happy wife of 16 years to her college sweetheart and mother to six loud, but lovable children ranging in age from 13 down to two. After eight years of homeschooling and sampling way too much curriculum, she takes an eclectic approach in their little schoolroom, choosing resources that best suit the children and the teacher. Her busy household puts her gifts of juggling and winging it to the test each day. She steals moments here and there to write on her blog, Day In Day Out, about the lessons she’s learning from the Lord in the routine but privileged tasks of mothering and homeschooling.