When seasons change, so do your routines, things to do, and temperatures. Summertime means long, sunny days, vacations, and more time with family and friends than usual. However, summer can also bring a bit of stress and overwhelm. From managing your home to keeping the kids entertained, finding balance and maintaining a clean, tidy home environment can feel like an uphill battle. 

Summer is also a time for kids to play and enjoy their time away from school. However, it’s also essential to create good habits like teaching them the importance of maintaining a clean, tidy home. Involving kids in the process, and making it enjoyable, creates a harmonious living space for the entire family.

No worries though, we’re here to help you reclaim your summer sanity! Below are some tips that will ease stress, keep your environment functional, and allow you to enjoy a peaceful summer.

Maintain Routines (with ease):

• Plan cleaning and tidying tasks for times during the day that would usually be saved until evening
• Prioritize areas that may require more attention during summer like laundry, entryway, and pantry
• Have a less-structured calendar but designate specific times for essential activities like learning, chores, and doing nothing
• The intentions do not change, just simplify the priorities while maintaining existing systems

Reset your Space: Decluttering is a reset, of sorts, allowing you to prepare for the hustle and bustle of summer, while also ridding your home of things you just don’t need or use at the moment. Declutter anything not worn since last summer or that no longer fits, and categorize into donate or toss piles

• If you have the space, swap out seasonal items such as sweaters, other heavy clothing, and winter accessories for summer wear
• Categorize each type of clothing for easy identification and access (tops, bottoms, dresses, sets, swimwear, hats, sandals)
• go through luggage and travel items decluttering empty bottles, or torn bags, in preparation for vacations
• declutter school papers and files from the school year. Pro tip: display this year’s artwork using a giant adhesive clip, then toss it when fall comes in preparation for new artwork!

Involve the whole Family:

• Make cleaning and tidying a family competition, with a timer and rewards!
• Create a family command center or drop zone with wall hooks or labeled baskets- for keys, bags, hats, mail, shoes, etc.- to eliminate chaos
• simplify common gathering areas to welcome more people into a relaxing, inviting space
• Everyone wants to relax and have fun, so make sure everyone understands that that cannot happen without the environment to do so- take ownership of your area, be accountable, make it simple

Find Balance and Time for Self-Care: It’s important to prioritize self-care and moments of relaxation amidst the busyness of summer to recharge and maintain your well-being. 

• Carve out “me time” each day for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as reading, yoga, or happy hour 
• Connect with other mom groups  or like-minded families
• Remember, if a task takes five minutes or less, do it right then to cut down on your time being consumed by cleaning/tidying on the weekends or at night when you’re trying to relax
• Embrace the freedom and fun  of summer, letting go of perfection

Take charge of your summer, find simplicity in the chaos, and reclaim your peace, so you can just be. You’ve got this!