Five Strategies to Ruin Your Kids’ Summer

Ditch the Routine

Parents of little people—I mean babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers—understand how routine can make or break a day. Naptime is sacred, and meals run the world. Mess those up, and watch your house of cards fall. But experienced parents can tell you that routines also regulate bigger kids as well. So go ahead, let the 8-year-old watch TV for five hours, snack all day, and chill on the couch with an iPad. One day here and there—no problem. Let him do that for several days in a row, and watch the meltdown happen in slo-mo. By early August, he will have gained 10 pounds of pudge and an attitude you wouldn’t wish on any teacher.

Pre-teens and teens are just toddlers in big, hungry bodies. They thrive on routine as well. Sleep is their best friend, but they will move their naptime to early morning, so just expect them to stay in bed later than the littles. Noon might be a reasonable wake-up call. Maybe. Unless they have jobs to go to. Then you can just crank up The Greatest Showman soundtrack when you wake them up—no apologies. Get your lazy bum out of bed and go earn some money!

By routine, I mean pattern. Don’t feel you must create a strict schedule; half the fun of summer is the relaxed pace of life. But keeping a daily pattern with occasional jolts of randomness stabilizes everyone. Mom and/or Dad likely still goes to the job site or office, and kids can see that life does go on for the rest of the world. Meal-activity-meal-rest-activity-meal-activity-bedtime… the changing activities make things fresh, while the regular routine keeps them stable. Try to stick with it on most days. Unless you enjoy chaos and crazy.

Blow Your Budget

Spend all the money. Promise them all the camps, Six Flags, the water park, youth group trips, mall expeditions, movies … You gotta keep them occupied, right? This means big money, multiplied by the number of children in your home. Forget the budget—those kids deserve all the fun, all the entertainment, all the spoiling.

Not really. In fact, I recommend you plan ahead—it’s not too late to check the calendar and see what is already on the books. By this time, any camps are already paid for, and you must now decide how to fill the remaining weeks. The small children don’t need much money. Keep them in diapers, Cheerios, and apple juice, and you are SuperMom. Playdates with the dog or friends, plus the occasional grocery run, will wear them out between nap times.

Older kids will drain the bank account.

They especially have refined the strategy of last-minute requests. But Mom, they invited me to go—it’s only $60 for a ticket and dinner… Hey Dad, can I join the mission trip in August? It’s only $50. (This after already attending two camps.) Movies cost $4 or more (and go ahead, buy your snacks there too so you can really lighten your wallet). So, if your budget matters, planning ahead helps. A lot.

Consider giving each child a summer allowance so they can decide how to allot their funds: a movie a week? save for a big event in July? Let them make some decisions.

Show them exactly how much those camps and trips cost, so they can get a real-life picture of what you’ve provided for them already. Average it out over the 12 weeks to show them what they already cost. Then discuss options for free activities.

Have them earn play money by doing big chores around the house, or service projects in your area.

Don’t forget to access your free, local area opportunities: neighborhood pool, museums, splash pads, tourist areas.