Summer routine and chores
I have shared in the past about how bananas my boys get if they are left to their own devices. In this day and age that takes on a whole new meaning. I’m talking about the s-word---screens. We cut off our TV about three years ago, so I don’t have to deal with the convenience of endless shows at the push of a button anymore. That is a blessing and a curse because sometimes even I want to veg out on the couch with a bag of fruit snacks and a juice box. When we first turned it off I had background noise withdrawals. As if the kid noise wasn't enough?? I got so used to having it on even when we weren't watching it.
(Saving this real quick to go make blueberry waffles and bacon because Seth just came and asked me what I’m making for breakfast. I’ll be back...eventually.)
It is now during Joel's afternoon nap. I started working on sleep training him this week and it only took him five minutes to fall asleep this time. This is day five and we're definitely making progress during the day. We're still a hot mess at night. He sleeps about three or four hours in his bed before waking up. When he does, I just put him in bed with me and nurse him off and on the rest of the night. We both sleep pretty good that way. I don't loooovvve having my sleep interrupted all night, but I do relish the baby snuggles. I made blueberry waffles this morning and my waffle iron is wrecked. Those blueberries are stuck like glue in all those nooks and crannies. Yuck. For lunch we had beanie burritos from the beans I made in the crock pot on Sunday and mashed up for refried beans on taco night. I think it's safe to say we stretched that dollar.
So, back to summer routine. We're two weeks into summer vacation and so far the routine or checklist has helped my sanity tremendously. I have been enjoying sleeping until around 7 or 8 when Joel wakes up. I let him nurse then close my door and let him play in my room so the boys can sleep in a bit. Their bunk bed is in the living room, so if we were to go in there Seth could sleep through a tornado, but Toby would for sure wake up. He is a light sleeper and I noticed he needs more sleep now that he is entering "puberty." I say it that way because he has proudly announced this new phase of life on many occasions. At one point, he actually introduced himself to one of my friends from MOPS by saying, "Hi, I'm Toby. I'm going through puberty." Um, excuse me!? I guess that makes it official. I was trying to be in denial about it like me not admitting it would make him stay a little boy forever, (even though he has a 'stache and his voice is cracking) but he just went and said it so now he really has to grow up. We just barely made it through all the changes with our girl and now we're thrown right in the middle of our first boy preteen. There is no rest for the weary.
That hour or so in my room with the baby is probably my favorite time of day. I open the curtains and he watches the horses, birds, or squirrels out the doors. I make my bed, drink some water, get dressed, watch a YouTube video or two, change Joel's diaper and get him dressed, and maybe even read something out of one of the books stacked on my nightstand. I'm behind on my Bible reading app. That's what I should be doing. If the boys still aren't up we might go sit on the porch swing a while. The house we're in right now has four sets of sliding glass doors that lead out onto a back porch that stretches the full length of the house. Our room has a set, the living room has two sets, and Lorelai's room has a set. It's probably my favorite feature of this house. It is nice and cool in the mornings and has a great view of the sunset in the evenings. Around 9 or 9:30 we head into the kitchen and start breakfast. Let's just stop right here and take a moment to appreciate slow summer mornings. #thankful
If the boys had their way, they would play video games or watch YouTube kids straight out of bed. During the school year I had to make a rule that they couldn't play on Saturday mornings until 9:00 because they would be up at the crack of dawn playing games then major cranky pants later in the day because they woke up too early. During the week they couldn't play at all unless they had banked extra minutes and that was only allowed after all their homework was done Monday through Friday. Sunday is a screen-free day for all of us. That is the goal anyway. For the summer we needed more of a routine for them to follow before they got screen privileges since they're home more during the day. So, here's what we came up with.
(Saving this real quick to go make blueberry waffles and bacon because Seth just came and asked me what I’m making for breakfast. I’ll be back...eventually.)
It is now during Joel's afternoon nap. I started working on sleep training him this week and it only took him five minutes to fall asleep this time. This is day five and we're definitely making progress during the day. We're still a hot mess at night. He sleeps about three or four hours in his bed before waking up. When he does, I just put him in bed with me and nurse him off and on the rest of the night. We both sleep pretty good that way. I don't loooovvve having my sleep interrupted all night, but I do relish the baby snuggles. I made blueberry waffles this morning and my waffle iron is wrecked. Those blueberries are stuck like glue in all those nooks and crannies. Yuck. For lunch we had beanie burritos from the beans I made in the crock pot on Sunday and mashed up for refried beans on taco night. I think it's safe to say we stretched that dollar.
So, back to summer routine. We're two weeks into summer vacation and so far the routine or checklist has helped my sanity tremendously. I have been enjoying sleeping until around 7 or 8 when Joel wakes up. I let him nurse then close my door and let him play in my room so the boys can sleep in a bit. Their bunk bed is in the living room, so if we were to go in there Seth could sleep through a tornado, but Toby would for sure wake up. He is a light sleeper and I noticed he needs more sleep now that he is entering "puberty." I say it that way because he has proudly announced this new phase of life on many occasions. At one point, he actually introduced himself to one of my friends from MOPS by saying, "Hi, I'm Toby. I'm going through puberty." Um, excuse me!? I guess that makes it official. I was trying to be in denial about it like me not admitting it would make him stay a little boy forever, (even though he has a 'stache and his voice is cracking) but he just went and said it so now he really has to grow up. We just barely made it through all the changes with our girl and now we're thrown right in the middle of our first boy preteen. There is no rest for the weary.
That hour or so in my room with the baby is probably my favorite time of day. I open the curtains and he watches the horses, birds, or squirrels out the doors. I make my bed, drink some water, get dressed, watch a YouTube video or two, change Joel's diaper and get him dressed, and maybe even read something out of one of the books stacked on my nightstand. I'm behind on my Bible reading app. That's what I should be doing. If the boys still aren't up we might go sit on the porch swing a while. The house we're in right now has four sets of sliding glass doors that lead out onto a back porch that stretches the full length of the house. Our room has a set, the living room has two sets, and Lorelai's room has a set. It's probably my favorite feature of this house. It is nice and cool in the mornings and has a great view of the sunset in the evenings. Around 9 or 9:30 we head into the kitchen and start breakfast. Let's just stop right here and take a moment to appreciate slow summer mornings. #thankful
If the boys had their way, they would play video games or watch YouTube kids straight out of bed. During the school year I had to make a rule that they couldn't play on Saturday mornings until 9:00 because they would be up at the crack of dawn playing games then major cranky pants later in the day because they woke up too early. During the week they couldn't play at all unless they had banked extra minutes and that was only allowed after all their homework was done Monday through Friday. Sunday is a screen-free day for all of us. That is the goal anyway. For the summer we needed more of a routine for them to follow before they got screen privileges since they're home more during the day. So, here's what we came up with.
Summer ScreenTime Rules
- It must be timed. You will get one hour when you're done with your checklist and one more hour later in the day for a total of two hours per day. (I think that is reasonable, but I'd love to hear what you do.)
- You may choose one day per week for a free-for-all day IF you balance your screen time with off-screen time.
- I may choose a free-for-all day at any time as a reward for good behavior. (Honestly, this is more for me than for them. Am I right, moms?)
- Free-for-all days begin when you have had breakfast, brushed teeth, gotten dressed, and made your bed.
ScreenTime Checklist (in no particular order)
___Eat breakfast
___Brush teeth
___Get dressed
___Make bed
___Read 20 minutes (or practice your lines- Toby and Lorelai are in a play this summer.)
___Play outside 30 minutes (ride bike, play basketball, etc...)
___Exercise (Run two laps around the house, skip jumps, high knees, lunges, and butt kicks, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 10 jumping jacks, 30 second wall sit)
___Chores that can be done
We assign the following chores to each child. Lorelai and Toby switch off weekly with washing and unloading the dishes, taking the trash can to the road, and cleaning their bathroom. They unload the groceries and Seth takes everything out of the bags for me. They wash their own sheets and clothes, and Seth turns everything right side out and puts his clothes up. Lorelai has to clean her room at least once a week and feed Twyla everyday, and the boys have to pick up their toys every night and clean out the minivan when I ask them to.
We assign the following chores to each child. Lorelai and Toby switch off weekly with washing and unloading the dishes, taking the trash can to the road, and cleaning their bathroom. They unload the groceries and Seth takes everything out of the bags for me. They wash their own sheets and clothes, and Seth turns everything right side out and puts his clothes up. Lorelai has to clean her room at least once a week and feed Twyla everyday, and the boys have to pick up their toys every night and clean out the minivan when I ask them to.
Extra Chores for Bonus ScreenTime or $
___Sweep hardwood for 30 extra minutes OR $2
___Vacuum carpets for 30 extra minutes OR $2
___Mop hardwood for 30 extra minutes OR $2
___Dust entertainment center and bookshelves for 15 extra minutes OR $1
___Clean sliding glass doors in living room for 30 extra minutes OR $2
___Sweep off porches and carport for 15 extra minutes OR $1
___Mow the yard for as many minutes as it takes to mow OR $20
___Picking up enough sticks to fill one trash can equals 45 extra minutes OR $5
The extra chores have to be done with no input from me or else it becomes a chore for me too. If I'm going to pay them for chores then I shouldn't have to help them with them. The chores that we assign are understood as their contribution for the daily running of the household. I do pitch in and help them with those occasionally. It is nice to have help though if I am busy with other things and need them to help. All in all, they're happy because they get to play their games and I'm happy because I don't have to harp on them all summer for never going outside or cracking a book. We end our day with a family walk around 7:30 then Joel's bedtime routine begins and everyone else goes to tidying up the house and getting ready for bed. Then we usually watch Netflix or Hulu after Joel falls asleep until 10 or 11. They wouldn't admit it, but they feel better (and act better) with a more well-rounded day as well.
The extra chores have to be done with no input from me or else it becomes a chore for me too. If I'm going to pay them for chores then I shouldn't have to help them with them. The chores that we assign are understood as their contribution for the daily running of the household. I do pitch in and help them with those occasionally. It is nice to have help though if I am busy with other things and need them to help. All in all, they're happy because they get to play their games and I'm happy because I don't have to harp on them all summer for never going outside or cracking a book. We end our day with a family walk around 7:30 then Joel's bedtime routine begins and everyone else goes to tidying up the house and getting ready for bed. Then we usually watch Netflix or Hulu after Joel falls asleep until 10 or 11. They wouldn't admit it, but they feel better (and act better) with a more well-rounded day as well.
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