A Summer Rythm

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Like Arizona, transitions aren’t super fun for me. I love a routine, schedule and a PLAN. When I have these things in place, I am thriving. In other words, I am a very HAPPY MAMA.

Every June, as the school year comes to a close, I experience a flutter of anxiety over the looming months of chopped up schedules, juggling work + motherhood and making sure my child experiences a healthy (i.e. not glued to the ipad) and productive summer.

Don’t get me wrong; I am so grateful for the lack of homework drama, rushing through the morning routine to get to school on time, the duties of classroom requests and volunteer expectations ..

And at the same time : I love the predictable routine of the school year. Arizona and I both feel secure in knowing that most weeks, her schedule remains the same.

Ideally, Arizona could attend the local day camp at her school down the street when summer rolls around. The reality is, though, that she isn’t quite ready to mainstream to a daily camp without a full time aide to support her. Luckily, there are other summer camps that CAN accommodate my daughter without an aide. And I am grateful that for the past few years, the most amazing summer programs for Arizona have been in our backyard : The Social Foundations and Pacific Point Academy.

And even with a semblance of a plan in place, I still resorted back to creating visual schedules to help Arizona understand her upcoming summer routine. Each week will be different, as camp is sporadically scheduled throughout various weeks. When we can take a look at what’s coming up in the future (the following day, next week, next month), there is a big EXHALE to release any potential anxieties around the unknown.

Today, while Arizona was expressing BIG FEELINGS to me about her upcoming birthday party, I leaned in and really listened to her worries and concerns. We came up with a plan for the birthday party day and will put together some fun drawings to go along with it.

No matter what happens, putting together a schedule or practicing flexibility are both invaluable life skills for our kiddos.

I am looking forward to a restful, relaxing and rejuvenating summer of 2017. What plans do you have in place to truly take care of yourself and experience a joyful and purposeful summer?