The Summa Mama Guide!

The countdown begins! Summer break is right aroung the corner and planning ahead is a MUST for effective execution of the fast-paced eight weeks. Five areas to tackle and W's to collect!

Batching Appointments

Summer break is a great time to blitz through appoints for the kids. Sure, it's pure chaos yet THE BEST on your time when you are a busy bee! During these appointments, it's extremely efficient to get activity forms signed, prescriptions created/ filled and to tackle any questions that may require further evaluations. This allows time for any adjustments ahead of the upcoming school year. Bonus: You can those kids to one Appointment follow-up lunch vs. 50-11. Only my kids? oh ok. Ha, ha!!

Summer Camps

You're late but not out of the race! Looking into Summer camps can ensure your kids are engaged, learning and having fun beyond electronics while being the perfect supplement to ease the balance between school being out and work still being in full effect. There are literally camps for every interest and the FIRST place to ALWAYS start is county websites. Priced right and timed graciously, their offerings are always going to be the BIGGEST bang for your buck. Once you've combed through county sites, check-in with your children's extracurriculars to see if the have created extra weekly sessions. Further, look into VBS's that run half day fun and community centers with all- day play passes. A little digging, you're sure to come up with gold. Happy Searching!

Scheduled "Outside"

Summer is a time to be alive...and outside! Festivals, food trucks and outdoor fun and bountiful and available for all ages! Checking surrounding city sites where you reside and scenic places you often visit are a great place to start building your "Summer Bucket List".

1. Create a list of events you wish to enjoy

2. Compare events to your current calendar/tasks to decide which events can become the itinerary 2-3 weeks in advance.

3. At the top of each week, read specifics and pack appropriately!

   
   

   Sometimes, you may stumble upon impromptu fun. The key is having outdoor basics live in the trunk during the break. For us, this consist of quad chairs, pop up sun shades, sunscreen/skin needs for extended outdoor time comfortable shoes and plenty of water!

   
   
   
   

Learning and Retention

Did you know that students can experience a significant amount of learning loss over the summer break, typically equivalent to one to three months of school-year learning? Many call this the Summer slide... While this happens often, small initiatives can make a huge difference. I make a standard of 30-minute reading, 30-minute refresh each Summer break. Gather grade level workbooks and prep the work ahead of each week. Often, these exercises aren't longer than 20 minute but can make a hge impact in your child's confidence when returning school. Are you an over-achiever? Creating experiments, crafts and hands on activities are a great way to keep them busy and ignite their creativity! Bonus: Creative a reward system based on your children's various interests for independent work. Bailey loves a good beauty mini haul... Reading minutes and testing prep are the ticket to shadow pallets and cute lippies.

Back to School Prep

Getting ready for school can often feel more chaotic than surviving Summer Break itself, lol. Truth is, it's simply a lot in a small span of time. That said, being intentional and planning shopping trips, errands around open houses and creating a countdown checklist are your best efforts towards seamless productivity. Many schools publish back to school shopping lists less than two weeks into Summer break or earlier. Utilize this resource to plan shopping trips prior to the rush for items that are already priced aggressively. Schedule time for each child to shop for school must-haves and create a comprehensive list prior to.

While the list may be long, these tips assist in reducing stress and pacing yourself to accomplish the most possible. Every age and stage will benefit from your mindful planning! Happy Summer Break!