Transitioning from the school schedule to the summer schedule can be challenging, especially for working parents. With the pandemic, the situation has become even more complicated. If you’re a rookie parent and you haven’t yet planned your summer classes or your summer schedule for your kids, I’m here to tell you that it might be too late. But don’t worry, there are still ways to make the transition easier. Here are a few tips and tricks to get your kids’ summer schedules lined up.
First, do your research and plan ahead. Finding summer camps and consistent care for kids during the summer can be hard. So, look at your work schedule and see if you can create more efficiency in how you work. Can you wake up a little earlier and work while the kids sleep in? Can you hire a helper to entertain the kids while you’re on client calls? Try to create time blocks of efficiency in your calendar. For example, block off a couple of hours when the kids are at a camp or with a helper, so you can have a quiet house to work in.
Organize. Summer schedules can be difficult to manage because of all the camps and activities. To stay on top of things, color code your Google calendar and review it every week. Use your Sundays for planning the upcoming week, making sure you have enough travel time planned so you can get everybody where they need to go.
Build in down time. As a working parent, you only have so many summers with your kids before they grow up. So, try to build in lots of time to hang out with them, plan activities, and take trips. Try to work your professional schedule into a more relaxed schedule in the summer so that you can spend more time with your kids. When they go back to school, you can ramp up your work schedule again.
Switching from the school schedule to the summer schedule, and back again, can be tough. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be.
Remember to plan ahead, create time blocks of efficiency, color code your calendar, and use your Sundays for planning. Don’t forget to build in lots of time to spend with your kids. With a little bit of planning, you can make the transition from the school schedule to the summer schedule a lot smoother.