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In the last week, I think I’ve seen about 10 different friends on Facebook ask other moms for tips on surviving summer. I think we’re all thinking the same thing – how are we going to get through the days without losing our minds?

I love the start of summer and I’ve actually been looking for it, just like I love it when the school year starts back up again. Change can feel good and I love fresh starts … but summer can start to lose its luster when the animals have taken over the zoo.

A few weeks ago, I asked each of my kids to write a list of things they’d like to do this summer. I then compiled their lists, vetoed some things, and created a loose summer plan. I think everyone is happier when they know there is a plan and what to expect.

I certainly don’t think every minute of summer should be planned! One of my favorite things is to turn off all the screens and see what creativity comes out (you have to brace yourself through the whining to get to the good stuff). Like tomorrow, my girls have a big Pretend School setup … they’ve even roped in their little brother. Who knows how long that will last, but I’ll milk every minute!!!

Certainly, please give your kids a chance to get bored. It’s so easy to solve their problem of “what should I do” … but they really blossom when they figure it out.

What I Do

But still I plan, because even though I want to foster a lot of unstructured time and time with friends during the summer, I want to do cool stuff too. I want to do zoos, museums, parks, vacations, and the stuff that takes a little more than making sure there are always cold water bottles for everyone in the fridge.

Planning it out helps me space it out instead of cramming it into the last week of summer when things are insane!

First I block off all of our planned vacations on the calendar. Then, I like to include a few of each child’s very favorite things and sprinkle in some basic summer fun that maybe nobody wrote down –