Summer Routines

Summer is my favorite season.  Overall, I just feel better in the summer… more time outside in the sun, more time to linger in prayer and Bible study in the morning, more exercise, more sleep, more fresh veggies and fruits, more time to read, and more time to catch up with loved ones. And then there are the “fewers”….fewer demands on my time, fewer pressures, fewer aches and pains related to cold weather, fewer socks to washJ.  But there is one thing I sometimes miss in the summer and that is basic structure.  The school year provides us with a basic structure for each day.  There are places to be every Tuesday, times we have to be done with one thing so we can get the next thing done, specific times when chores are to be completed. Home schooling also provides guaranteed, built-in, personal interaction with each individual child. While I relish the break from “schedule”, I miss the “routine” of it all. 

This summer I have worked to divide our break from school into segments…recovery segment, catch-up segment, and preparation segment. The first few weeks were focused on wrapping up the past school year and resting.  I completed portfolios, did the necessary paper work, sorted books, and so on.  I also built in lots of free time for everyone…mom included! We all need some long days of reading, traveling, and playing, with minimal household tasks and chores.

 We are currently in the “catch-up segment” of our summer. This is the time of the summer when everyone seems to be craving a bit more structure. Each morning (after sleeping later than usual…ahhhh), I give everyone an assignment to help us “catch-up” on the tasks we often let slide during the school year.  This includes things like cleaning out closets and toys, washing drapes, cleaning behind the fridge (eek!), painting, and reorganizing.  We work on these tasks until lunch and then have our afternoons free for other things. 

Before we know it we will enter the “preparation segment” of summer. This is the exciting time when we get ready for the year ahead. Most of these tasks (but not all!) will fall my shoulders. The mornings will be spent doing tasks like ordering books, organizing materials, making games and activities for the younger students, composing reading lists, thinking about daily school routines, and getting extra meals in the freezer to help us as we ease back into a busier season of life.  Older children will be taking turns between assisting me and helping with the younger children. My goal is still to keep our afternoons free for the summer-time things we love to do…gardening, playing in the sprinkler, visiting the library, reading, playing with friends. While we savor those last wonderful days of summer, we know we have much to look forward to in the months ahead.  Yes, more socks to wash and a few more achy joints to deal with, but oh, that precious time gathered around the school table! I am looking forward to it even as I praise Him for this blessed season of sunshine and refreshment!

This post is linked to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home  Wise Woman Link-up and Homemaking Wednesdays.