The Chaotic Summer Plan: 5 Ways to Have the Most Stressful Summer Ever
Don’t you feel the urge to add to the chaos of your already packed schedule?!
Isn’t summer time about experiencing all.the.things? After all, you know that you are doing summer correctly if you are ready to pull out your hair by the end of the first week, right? So let’s make a pact to send our children back to school rejoicing that summer is FINALLY over so that they can sleep in!
Here are some ways to ensure that your summer is the most chaotic ever (or maybe it will be a good checklist for what NOT to do).
1. Plan every single moment of every single day for every single week.
You know those cute summer bucket lists you see on Pinterest? Why would you only choose a couple of things when you can do ALL of them?! While you are at it, compile a few lists together to make one ULTIMATE list! Technically, you only have 56 days of summer, BUT if you plan to have morning, afternoon, and evening events, your children will get 168 different experiences and NEVER be bored. You’ll thank me later when your children daily pass out in the car from all the “fun.”
OR
Plan for “I’m not sure what we are doing today” spaces in your weekly schedule. Remember: children who are bored are given the opportunity to be creative.
2. Say YES to everything and to every invitation!
Summer is not the time to “deprive” your children. By saying, “YES” to all of your family’s wants and demands, you will ensure that boundaries are crossed, sleep-deprivation happens, and emotions run ragged. Congratulations, you are on your way to the best summer yet!
OR
Say “no” to at least one event per week. This will practically teach your children that they are not human “do”ings. They are human “be”ings.
3. Post EVERY moment (and especially EVERY meal) on social media.
If you don’t post it on Instagram, it never happened, right? How else are we going to ensure our friends are jealous…I mean inspired by our summer?
OR
Plan for “phone-free” days in your summer schedule. Mindfully soak in the moments using your five senses to remember and recollect the events, instead of merely snapping a picture and being done with it.
4. Be too tired, too stressed, too anxious, and too overwhelmed to invite friends over for dinner.
Of course summer would be the perfect time to reconnect with that friend or invite your new neighbor over for dinner. But who has time? Plus, that means you have to clean your house, assemble some sort of gourmet meal, and shower?! #NOPE
OR
Go ahead and invite your friends over for dinner. Make it a “shmorgishborg” themed supper where they bring whatever from their fridge and y’all take out something from your fridge. Cook together. Clean-up together. Laugh together. Live life together.
5. Never take any time for yourself. Make sure your kids know you are available to their every whim.
FINALLY your children are home every moment for the next eight weeks! You are Super Mom. You can do this! You will survive summer! Doesn’t being a good Mom always equate to being there for them 24/7?
OR
Realize that summer is a time of rest and relaxation for every member of the family…including you! Remember that you deserve a break too! Feel free to do something that recharges and restores you.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are upon the earth.”
This summer, instead of obsessing over our “to-do” lists, let’s choose to “set our minds on the things above” by slowing down and being grateful for each God-given moment.
You can find her at IMbetween.org or @IMbetweenshow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Christina Im is the co-host of the IMBetween Podcast with her hubby, Daniel. They honestly and humorously discuss parenting, marriage, and everything in between. Christina is a Chinese-Canadian Social Worker, married to a Korean, living life in the South. She is blessed to be the mother of three wonderful, LOUD, and creative children.
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