Summer time! Are you excited? Are your flip flops on? Is it your time to grill, take in a little sun and enjoy the warmer weather? Awesome! Summer can be a great lift from the winter, without doubt. It can also be a two pronged sword for parents. On one end, the sun and warmth can be welcomed. On the other end, it means keeping our kids occupied, out of trouble and maintaining our sanity. So for today’s post we’re going to rock out four ways for parents to maintain their sanity and wellness during summer.

Whether your kid completed the school year or will in a few weeks, it’s not too late to get some structure in order. Our kids need structure and this, in many ways, reinforces our sanity. What are some things to rock out structure for our kids?

• summer camp – whether during the day or overnight this is a great way to keep kids busy and less engaged on their cell phones.
• Volunteer- whether once a week or five days a week a few hours at an animal shelter, soup kitchen or local non-profit thrift shop gets some goodness going.
• clinics- community colleges or local organizations often offer workshops or clinics that range from pottery, golf, basketball, etc.

So that’s some ideas for our kids. Now, it’s time to do a little mom and dad focus. We usually place that  on the back burner, but there are SO many negatives attached to this. Let’s focus on you, my friends!

Four ways for parents to maintain their sanity and wellness during summer:

1. Summer requires us to have a plan and schedule for our kids. I’ll say it a million times because it goes hand in hand with us not being overwhelmed with angst and stressors.
2. Have boundaries. Summer can often be the busiest time of the year with bbqs, swim gatherings, vacation, etc. For many, summer doesn’t mean any less work at home or at work. So throwing all this on top of the norm can cause us to be on overload. Prioritize. Our kids do not need to be doing everything and that’s ok. Maintain sanity by having boundaries and saying no when needed.
3.  Self care: There I said it. As parents this is an area that is often neglected. It’s back       burner kind of stuff. But it can’t be. In order for us to be effective as parents, partners       and all the other hats we wear we MUST take time to recharge and get our zen on.         That can be a bike ride, a meet up with a friend for coffee, being in a book club,     running or whatever the heck it is that allows your mind hit the pause button a bit. We all require this. It cannot be optional.
4. Have fun: Seriously. Sometimes we can become so consumed with our obligations and  responsibilities we lose out on beautiful moments. Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping      and the many other things we have on our list can sometimes simply wait until later.        Sit around the bonfire and roast marshmallows. Grab a seat on the couch and watch a    movie with the whole family. Tie dye shirts, have a water balloon toss, go to a picnic.        Give yourself permission to live, breath and enjoy time with the people that won’t always be sitting on the couch, in their rooms or complaining about what is or isn’t for dinner.      Time is fleeting. Grab it while you can.

There will never be another today…

That sounds a little over played, but it’s absolute truth. You have one you and taking care of you is insanely important. Snatching moments to take care of yourself that will enable you to enjoy the present with the ones all the more. We’ve been wired to think time to ourselves or self care is selfish, it’s actually the opposite. It’s one of the best gifts we can bestow upon ourselves and our kids. Everything is how we opt to look at it.

So today, right here and right now let’s bring on some rearranging before summer is officially here. Are you onboard? If you have ideas and suggestions you’ve implemented on your home front, feel free to share them with me. I’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you a day of sun, flip flops and sanity! Peace, love and goodness!