Summer Break

Summer break is one of the best times to spend quality time with your children. You
only get so many summer breaks from school before they are off on their own. It is truly a time
to savor. However, it can also be an overwhelming time, particularly for families where both
parents are working. In order to have a smooth summer around the home you can create a
signup sheet that the entire family has access to. Depending on the age of every member of
your family will dictate the appropriate jobs to sign up for. Below are a few suggestions of things to
add when you create a signup sheet for your family this summer.
 Organizing Meals: Daily meals take up a significant portion of the day. Planning what to
eat and when to purchase the groceries, who is going to make it, who is going to clean
up, etc. are all parts of organizing for a meal that can be prepared for ahead of time. If
each member of the family can sign up to help coordinate the family’s weekly meals
that would relieve a large portion of the burden of mealtime.
 Household Clean Up: Regular household chores can get out of hand when they are not
regularly maintained. Age-appropriate chores can be selected, and every family member
can sign up to contribute. Specific chores can include vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing the
bathrooms, etc.
 Backyard Clean Up: Summer is an ideal time to tend to your backyard garden. Children
of all ages can help partake in gardening including digging, planting, and weeding. Make
sure you include backyard cleanup as part of your sign-up sheet.
 Prepare For Annual Trip: If you take an annual summer vacation this is a great way to
get everyone involved. Make sure that you list out the steps that must be taken prior to
leaving. These steps can include making arrangements for pets, packing, preparing food
for a road trip, etc.