How to Plan an Intentional Summer Your Whole Family Will Love (FREE Planning Packet)
It’s time to plan your intentional summer! If you need help creating a summer plan the whole family will love, then this post is for you (and don’t miss the free summer planning guide)!
If you’re a mom with children at home, then you know that these years of having them under our roofs are fleeting.
The older my children get the more I question the validity of the age-old saying,
“The days are long, but the years go by so fast.”
Lately, the days have been going by faster, wrapped up in the bustle of meeting needs, keeping house, and getting from one place to the next.
The days don’t feel very long to me anymore.
Moms of wee little ones, hang in there.
I well remember the weariness of the rinse and repeat of having a preschooler, toddler, and baby. Those days really are long and tiresome, but what “they say” is true.
The years really do go by fast.
One day you’ll have an older child who is actually helpful, and you’ll wish you could slow him down because he’s growing too fast.
I feel like I’ve reached that point in motherhood where you really want to squeeze tight the babies you still have because you know from experience that they outgrow your lap far faster than you realized was possible.
Many days I catch my breath, and suck in deep the emotions that well up in me, as I notice another tiny way my oldest is not so tiny anymore.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. -Ecclesiastes 3:1
I spent some time meditating on this verse a couple of years ago. As I meditated on it, I realized that it was a life verse for moms.
To be honest, I clung to this verse as I clawed for perspective in those little years.
It’s so easy to think that how things are now are how they will be forever.
However, each season of motherhood brings with it it’s own set of joys and challenges. Things do change, time does march on, and tiny little ones do grow up.
This is why I believe intentional living is so important.
In the daily rinse and repeat of everyday life, it’s easy to lose perspective.
It’s easy to think we have all the time in the world, or we put off until later what we really should be soaking in today.
One thing I’m endeavoring to do here at Intentional By Grace is to help women see that life is meant to be lived seasonally.
By His perfect design, God has granted a wonderful opportunity to consider this principle in light of the actual changing seasons.
As Spring quickly grows into Summer, I’m freshly reminded that I need to take some time out of my schedule to evaluate and make a plan for this season.
Maybe you do too.
Intentional Summer Planning Guide Your Whole Family Will Love
1. Get Your Bearings
As Mom, you are the manager of your home, the one created to give life.
You are the one who can cultivate a family culture that milks every season for all it’s worth, both in creation and in your life.
This summer is not going to be like last summer. Your children are older now. Next summer they will be another year older.
One of the key parts of living intentionally is to regularly take time out of your schedule to evaluate where you are, or to “get your bearings” so to speak.
Think About It:
- Take inventory of all your responsibilities.
- Consider if there is anything you are doing right now that you don’t need to be.
- Think about how last summer went and what changes you want to implement this summer.
- Ask your family what they hope to experience or do this summer.
2. Determine Clear Objectives
There are a lot of things you can do as a family each summer! There are ideas galore on Pinterest.
I spent an entire fifteen days one year sharing about different activities you could do with a toddler during the summer (you can find that series here).
But Mom, you have to figure out what is most important for your family. Once you get your bearings, write down 2-3 clear objectives you for this summer.
Examples of Clear Objectives:
- Focus on relationships
- Create margin for pretend play in the children’s day
- Read-aloud at least once a day
Your objectives are the big rocks you want to make sure stay at the forefront of your weekly and daily planning.
3. Simplify Your Work
From time-to-time, I like to re-evaluate my work in the home.
- Is there anything I’m doing that can be delegated to someone else?
- Is there anything I’m doing that if I tweaked it just a bit it would be easier to do?
- Is there any areas in my home that continue to just be a “stuff collector”?
Answering these questions always turns up some practical solutions that help clear clutter and quiet my mind.
Because let’s face it, clutter begets frustration!
One summer, I cleared our house of toys for the season. All I left were legos, a few cars, and a car track for the boys. It was wonderful!
I’m going to do do some toy clearing again before summer gets into full swing.
4. Make a Plan
I tend to get over zealous and over plan. I have to remind myself frequently to keep it simple.
When you start making a plan for your summer, it will be tempting to fit in all the things, but keep in mind your objectives, your family’s personality and needs, as well as your current season of life.
Put your big rocks in first, and you’ll find that you have a plan the whole family can be excited about!
Your Intentional Summer Planning Guide (Free Download)
If you want some help making a plan for your intentional summer, I’ve put together a summer planning guide for you to download.
Click here to access the free summer planning guide download packet!
In addition to walking you through the four steps outlined in this post, when you download this summer planning guide, I will help you:
- Do a brain dump
- Evaluate where you are
- Determine where you’re going
- Give you ideas for simplifying your work
- And give you plenty of free printables to help you get organized and plan a summer your whole family will love!
Click here to access the free summer planning guide download packet!
I hope your family has a blessed summer!
Now go be intentional, rely on grace, and become the woman of God you were created to be!
