Summer Morning Routines To Stop Fighting, Messes, & Boredom

Does your family need some simple summer morning routines that’ll help keep your child occupied and you sane this summer?

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If you find yourself waking up on those summer mornings with this sense of low-key dread, a bit of low-level anxiety, and a feeling of…

“Wow, today is going to be so long. Oh me oh my. “

Then this post is for you. Summer days can last forever. They really can go on for 48 hours, it seems, with tons of mess, noise, and stimulation.

And it can feel like there’s tons to do as well since the kids are home all day.

Which is why routines are a must.

Simple summer morning routines for kids

Let’s dive into some things to think about when creating routines for your kids. A little thought now can really make it easier on those summer days when you want to have fun, but feel like you’re losing it.

Critical elements to your summer morning routine

Before sitting down with a sheet of paper and making some routines up, let’s think about these key things. They’ll help you drum up some good things to slot into your routine.

• Time alone for mom. You want to make sure you slot in enough time for you, if you have a lot of kids who aren’t normally home all day, well, you could be in for hard times.
• Wake time. Kids don’t need to get up at 5am in the summer. That’s some type of cruel, cruel thing. Focus on a wake up time (yes, this is for babies, but idea remains).
• Breakfast. Will breakfast be DIY (by the kids) or will mom make it? You decide, then cement it in.
• Screen time. I highly suggest avoiding morning screen time, and instead using it for a time that makes sense for you. Kids wake up with enthusiasm, energy, and purpose. Don’t squash it with a screen.
• Lazy start or up and at ’em. Do you want to start off quietly with books and a slow breakfast? Or start off quickly? You decide and work that in.

What to consider for YOU when creating a summer morning routine

This is something I cannot say strongly enough.

Moms have to consider their own needs, boundaries, preferences, and personalities when creating summer routines.

• noise levels
• mess threshold
• introvert vs. extrovert
• home body vs. outdoor adventures
• work time or sahm

How to display, remind, or help your kids keep their own morning routine for summer

Many moms find it easy to think about and plan a routine, but then have trouble putting it into practice with their toddlers, preschoolers, or older kids.

And the key is to make the routine visual.

Make sure that, where possible, you can post the routine. You can either use the routine cards, chore cards, or even write it out on post-it notes.

The key is to make it visual to keep everyone on track.

Sample summer morning routines

Let’s dive into a few sample summer routines that’ll get your inspiration flowing. Remember, every family’s routines will look different based on the amount of kids, geography, preferences, personalities, etc.

Sample routine #2

6:30 am – wake up and breakfast

7:30 am – chores

8:00 am – workout routine (we do push-ups, sit-ups, sprints, etc. basic PE exercises, ha)

9:00 am – free play

10:30 am – snack

11:00 am – errands, outdoor play, park, visits with friends, pool, etc.

12:30 pm – lunch