School is almost out for a lot of homeschoolers and traditional students and whether you homeschool year round or take the summer off, one thing you don’t want to do is have a boring summer.  You remember those summers as a kid!  I know I do.  I remember being in my home from sun up to sun down watching television all day long.   It was… boooooooring not to mention mind numbing!

So how do you overcome the pitfalls of a boring summer when you yourself are exhausted from a long school year (or might even have to work)?  Here are 5 simple steps.

Make a Plan

Talk with your kids (not at them) and find out what they want to do for the summer.  As you talk with them listen and negotiate as necessary around your budget of money AND time.  For example, one of my children wants to learn to swim, play the violin, learn to sew and… well after that point I kinda tuned out.  While my budget of time and money did not allow for everything she wanted to do, we made a compromise.  We will go to the pool twice a week so she can get comfortable in the water and I will teach her to swim and I will find a sewing class.

Schedule It

Unless you schedule the activities you will not execute it.  Let’s face it, it’s summer, who wants to schedule anything in the summer but this is key to not having a boring summer.  Schedule the FUN!

Be Balanced

Don’t take on more than you can chew.  There’s a reason I zoned out when my daughter kept going on and on about what she wanted to do.  Yes the days might be longer but your endurance is not so be balanced and don’t over-schedule.  Allow wiggle room, after all it is the summer.

Be Consistent

Whatever you say you’re going to do, do it.  By practicing consistency now it will help as you transition back to the school year in the fall.

Be Present

Put the phone down during your time together with your children doing whatever it is that you planned to do.  I have found that when I have my phone in my hand while doing something my kids wanted to do it was as if it never happened.  I was not really present with them so it did not really matter.  So don’t cancel your time by using your phone, tablet or other smart handheld device.

So there you have it.  Five tips on how to NOT have a boring summer.  What are some of your tips?

In our next post  we will discuss some ideas of low cost fun things you can do to not have have boring summer.  Stay tuned!!