Five Practical Tips to Balance Fun and Routine This Summer

Summertime often brings fun activities like days by the pool, grilling outside, a trip to a local museum or zoo, afternoons at the park, or even family vacations. However, it’s not uncommon for the novelty of a laid-back, anything-goes summer to begin to wear off sometime in July, and parents often report an increase in behavior problems during the summer months, too. Maintaining a certain level of structure and routine each day can provide a lot of physical, mental, and emotional benefits for both kids and adults, and it can even help ease the transition back to school in the fall. 

Here are five simple ways you can incorporate routine into your kids’ summer:

• Morning meetings. Starting your day with a morning meeting allows you to discuss any plans and responsibilities for the day with your kids. This helps kids to know what to expect for the day, which can help relieve anxiety and stress. Even if each day looks completely different, the meeting itself provides predictability and routine!
• Regular meals and snacks. Kids are busy during the summer, which means they’re also paying less attention to what and when they eat. Regular meals and snacks help maintain blood sugar levels which help stave off those moody moments when your child gets low on fuel. Plan meals and snacks ahead of time – this planning could even become another part of your weekly routine! – and engage your children in the planning.
• Consistent wake and bedtime. Over-tiredness is a common reason for behavioral challenges in kids. While there are certainly going to be days with special circumstances, attempt to maintain the same wake time and bedtime each day for your child to help keep your child’s body rhythm on track and make bedtime easier. It’s even okay if it’s a slightly later “summer” wake and sleep schedule, as long as it’s fairly consistent!
• “Plan” downtime. Providing a routine doesn’t mean every moment of every day needs to be planned out. Build free blocks of time into the day where children can choose from a handful of activities to participate in: reading a book, riding a bike, playing in the sprinkler, playing a video game, drawing or coloring, etc. You can also plan weekly events like a family board game night or weekly picnic dinner for added routine and connection!
• Assign responsibilities. Provide age-appropriate responsibilities for your child. When children have opportunities to actively contribute to the family unit, it can help to improve their self-esteem. Consider scheduling a dedicated time for these responsibilities each day and plan something to look forward to later in the day when everyone’s responsibilities are complete.

While it’s entirely okay to take a “flexible” approach to summer, consider that physical items known for their flexibility aren’t characterized as things without shape or structure. They’re known for being able to bend and change while ultimately bouncing right back to their original shape. Help your child stay on track by “bouncing back” into a routine that helps everyone enjoy their summer!

Nicole Carleton, PhD is an intern supervisor at CAPA. She is licensed in Kansas and Missouri as an LCPC/LPC, a Registered Play Therapist™, and a Nationally Board-Certified Counselor. She specializes in counseling supervision, play therapy, and childhood mental health. In 2022, she earned a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from K-State. In her free time, Nicole enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, going to concerts, and spending time with her husband and two children.