I used to love summers. And then I became an adult, and I kind of started to hate them. Then, I became a mom, and — well, you know what happens to summer after that.

I was jealous of those moms who actually enjoyed lugging their kids around town all day. I’ve worked from home since I had kids, and so that hasn’t always been a possibility for me.  I was jealous of the moms who were ok sitting home with their kids and just having a free, lazy day. Lazy days for us turned into WWIII with the kids.

There seemed to be no happy medium. Until I started practicing the techniques that I work on to:

• Create more space in my life.
• Become aware and mindful of what’s working and not working.
• Find more fun so that I’m really living.

And I get other moms to have more fun and really live their lives too. So that’s why I’m giving you this quick little checklist of 5 ways to survive the summer with your kids.

5 Ways To Survive Summer With The Kids

1. Get Summer Started Off Right. – Do you ever find that September comes, and you wonder where your summer went? Many moms don’t ever actually START summer. So it never really happens. It’s just another whirlwind in their overwhelming life.

This summer, get it started on the right foot. So that you can enjoy it. One quick way to do this is to make a list of what makes summer feel like it started.

For me, that’s: Mojitos, lemonade, beach days, swimsuits, tan lines, swimming, hula hooping in the backyard, hammock relaxing

Let me know in the comments what’s on your list.

2. Change Your Expectations. – Did you notice that I didn’t say LOWER your expectations? You’re a mom now. Your kids are with you all summer. If you tell yourself you can only have fun without your kids, well, you’re not going to enjoy all of those sweet moments that you can have with your kids.

The majority of your summer will be overwhelming chaos. If you come to the terms with the fact that, yes, you do have kids with needs and insanity during the summer, then your plans and your intentions and your goals will work with that instead of against it. And what comes next? Balance, peace, and a fun freaking summer.

3. Set Up Guidelines/Schedule. – I have the best intentions when it comes to scheduling. And I have the worst follow through. However, that doesn’t mean that I’m a failure at scheduling and planning. I’m big on experimenting, and you have to start with a structure.

So create a structure for yourself and the kids this summer. Mine will entail:

• Setting guidelines and boundaries surrounding screen time.
• Leaving 1 full day or 2 mornings a week to go out and do something fun with the kids and our friends.
• Creating time where I play with the kids at home.
• I will also talk to the kids about the fact that they will not have “lunch dessert” every day.

4. Become Aware of What’s Already Working In Your Routine. – You spend 9 months of the year doing the same thing every day, especially if you work or if your kids are in school. What about your routine works? Keep that up during the summer.

For me, that’s:

• Keeping an early bedtime for the kids (although I am more flexible to allow a few days of late nights during the summer–That’s an example of changing my expectations).
• Making sure I have an hour to myself to do meditative work on my soul space (yep, I legit just said that) after the madness of breakfast and early morning.
• Putting the dog in his crate at mealtimes.

Super simple, but super powerful.

5. Make Fun Part Of Your To-Do List. – Have you ever felt derailed when you had a day of fun? Then you spend 2 weeks making up for it. If you schedule it in to your to-do list, you’ll learn how to balance fun with your to-dos, and this will NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I’m serious. My house is decently clean, and I get all of my work done every week, and I have fun every day.

If you wait to finish your to-dos in order to have fun, you will never have it. It’s not just me saying that either. People who do research on time have actually found this to be true.

Sound good? OK, so if you want to survive summer with the kids, you can join the Start Summer Off Right challenge.

Join here, and you’ll be the first to know how to join and when the challenge starts >>>

(If you’re already on my list, I’ll be sending out an email next week letting you know how to join, so you don’t have to enter your email address).