Thirty-Something Soccer Mom

With the school year coming to a close and summer vacation right around the corner I want to share with you the best mom tip I ever got for managing summer vacation and keeping your kids from turning into couch potatoes.

This one little trick will make a HUGE difference, not just in the way your kids spend their summer, but in their overall attitude and behavior too.  I’m not promising they’ll be angels but I am promising they’ll spend more time outside, be more creative, get more physical exercise and be more social. They might even read a book or two!

So, are you ready for it?  Here it is…

No Screen time until after lunch.

That’s right…no TV, no video games, no cell phones, no texting and no social media.  It may sound crazy but trust me on this one, I’ve done it with my kids and it seriously works!

Last summer was the first year we did this and all 4 of my kids spent so much more time playing outside, riding bikes, getting together with friends, building forts and finding some really creative ways to spend their time.  

Some mornings I’d even come downstairs to find my “early-riser” sitting on the couch reading a book!  My older kids would even join my husband and I on our morning run.  This is not normal teenage behavior!

Just a warning though…

1- The first week may be a little rough.

Especially if they’re used to having unlimited or unrestricted screen time. But stick with it and hold to the rule.  Trust me on this one, they WILL adjust and when they do you’ll be grateful for this tip.

2- They’ll complain about being bored.

I know what you’re thinking… you’re worried that if you don’t let them watch TV, play video games or use their tablets you’ll be hearing “I’m bored” at least 20 times a day.  But never fear, there’s a solution for that too…

A much older and wiser mom gave me this advice years ago and it works great.  When her kids were young she used to tell them:

“If I hear you say you’re bored…then you get to do a chore.”

During the summer kids should be doing more chores anyway (they’re certainly making more messes).  We make a summer chore chart that starts right after school gets out.  Their daily chores usually take around 30 minutes to complete but they have to be done before free time. 

So if I hear them complaining about being bored they know it automatically earns them an extra chore in addition to the ones they’ve already done.  It can be anything from unloading the dishwasher, sweeping the front steps, organizing my pots and pans drawer or folding a basket of laundry or anything else I need done.  They learn pretty quickly to find things to do so they aren’t “bored.”

Why this Rule works:

1- You’re not telling them no; you’re just making them wait until “later.”

We actually make our kids wait until 2pm because we have teenagers and sometimes they don’t even wake up until 10am.  I also didn’t want them trying to eat lunch “early” just so they could jump off their barstool and run into the living room to watch their favorite show on Netflix.

2- It’s a great motivator for good behavior.

Kids really want their screen time so you’ve got all the leverage you need to encourage good behavior during the day.  If one of my kids is being a stinker and causing problems, I just remind them that their TV time is on the line.  It only takes a couple times of missing a day or two for them to take my threats seriously.

3- They’ll be much more productive with their day.

Most behavioral experts agree that what you do first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. So why not get your kids day off to a good start by encouraging them to participate in more productive activities than sitting on the couch and watching TV?

The Best thing about this rule.

The sneaky thing about this rule is that many times my kids would get distracted with what they’re doing and completely forget about their promised screen time.

How cool is that?

So there it is.  Try it out this summer and see how it works for you.  I’m guessing you’ll wish you’d heard this tip years ago too.

And if you have any great “summer survival tips” share them with the rest of us in the comment thread above.  

Happy Summer!