In the summer, I hang a routine checklist in each kid’s bedroom, and they check things off as they go through the day. Yes, I know it feels a little micromanage-y. But with so many kids, it helps so much.
Why a summer routine checklist works
When you have a lot of kids, the questions never stop. “Can I watch TV?” “Can I play the iPad?” “Can I do this?” Having a routine in place changes the conversation. Instead of me running through “Well, did you do this and this yet?” I can just say, “Let’s check your routine. Did you do those things?”
Here’s how it works for us:
- Make a routine for each kid.
- Hang it in their bedroom where they’ll see it.
- Have them check things off as they finish each one.
- When they ask for screen time, point them back to their routine.
The best part is that it helps kids self-manage their day. They know what needs to happen first, and they don’t need me to remind them of every step.
Pair it with a little daily learning
If you’re also worried about the summer slide, here’s how we keep kids from forgetting what they learned all year: just 20 minutes of learning each weekday.
Want more ideas for summer with kids? Come hang out with our crew on YouTube. Subscribe to The Johnson Crew on YouTube.
More from our crew
- How to Avoid Kids Forgetting What They've Learned All Year
- How to Combat Boredom in Kids this Summer
- How to Keep Kids from Being Lazy Bums all Summer
Full transcript
And this is going to hang out in their bedrooms and they can check these off as they go throughout the day yes I feel like this is really micromanagy but when you have so many kids and they're always asking like can I watch TV can I play the iPad can I do this it just helps so much to have a routine put in place rather than well did you do this and this yet like let's check your routine did you do those things and this kind of helps them to self-manage their day