Summer Schedule Consistently Inconsistent

I’m a woman who loves a good schedule. I’ll tell you why. 

When I’m scheduled, I feel relaxed. 

I know the opposite is very true for many people. 

But for me, it means that everything I want, and need to do has been accounted for. 

Especially for my kids, the things that they are expected to do have been systematically laid out. They put their laundry away before they eat dinner, get dressed before they eat breakfast, and read books before they watch a show, and clean the bathrooms before they play video games. 

These systems free up my crazy eyed, confused mom face when the kids ask me…

“Mom, when can we watch shows?” 

And..

“Mom, when’s dinner?”

So on, and so forth. 

It’s like I’m able to designate time and space for certain things so I don’t have to think about them again. 

It frees up my brain, for other things. 

But in the summer….. Ehh. 

Summer schedule leaves a lot of question marks for everybody. 

Some days I expect them to do all the things and they are forbidden from watching shows. 

And some days they watch shows all afternoon. 

I’m incredibly consistently inconsistent and I’m learning to lean into it. 

I give myself grace. I let things just “be” (and it's really hard for me). 

So then I find myself yelling at everybody, because I look around and there are floors that need to be cleaned, dishes that need to be put away, and laundry that needs to be folded. 

I have this belief (that doesn’t serve me) that kids should be quietly occupied or doing chores. 

Thats why when they are NOT quietly occupied my brain instantly goes to this belief that they need more structure, more consistency, and more jobs to do. 

But what if the best thing for kids in the summer is for them to be consistently inconsistent and do whatever they feel like it? 

I’m asking myself this question, and the answer is…. 

That would be nice. 

But here’s the truth: 

IIIIIIII don’t know what to do with myself most times when I am not scheduled. 

Yes, Me! 

I always feel like I need to be cleaning, or cooking, or occupied in some fashion. 

I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not structured, THEREFORE I try to micromanage my children's time because I don’t know what to do with my own time! 

How do you like that!? 

I bing bong between sitting back and letting them do whatever they want to… REALLY INTENSELY dictating what they should be doing. 

That is the case, because that’s what I do with myself. 

I “let” myself sit down and relax for a moment and then I tell myself, “Alright, quick get up and go do something.” 

What if I didn’t have any expectations for myself AND my children? 

Mmmmmm that sounds very nice. 

Life would be a whole lot more relaxing. 

And enjoyable. 

Maybe, just maybe I’ll give it a try. 

I’ll report back.