Working from home, especially when you have kids, definitely comes with major perks. However, when I enrolled my son in Pre-K, I hadn’t totally thought about summer break, and the many (many) weeks he’d be home with me. Since he started full-time school, I’ve loaded up my work schedule, meaning I had some juggling to do this summer.
So, I hired my niece to be mommy’s helper twice a week. I’m still at home, so I can keep an eye and ear out, but they get to spend time together while I get some writing done.
We’ve also prepared some things for the bean to keep himself busy when I’m hung up on a call or answering emails. We have quiet boxes filled with toys, games, puzzles, craft supplies, and more. I didn’t spend any money on these – it was as simple as digging down into the bottom of some toys bags to retrieve those “forgotten” or “lost” items that have fell to the wayside.
We’ve decided on a standing library date every Monday. A weekly switch-up of books will keep his mind and imagination occupied. He’s also starting French immersion for kindergarten so we’re going to be frequenting the French section of the library as well.
We also switched up his bedroom a bit so it not only felt different and “new,” but so that it was more conducive to solo play. He now has a little corner with his desk and learning books as well as a comfortable rug, as well as a closet fort to curl up in.
We have a big summer family calendar in the kitchen. It included mommy and daddy’s work stuff, classes (like tee ball), and summer vacations. We also came up with a summer bucket list together with things we all want to do this summer, everything from strawberry picking to fishing to having opposite day. We keep this list handy for quiet weeknight evenings or weekends without plans.
A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.