| Hi read,
How are you this week? How are you feeling about summer? Excited? Stressed? Both perhaps?
As a working mom it can be a struggle to transition to summer from the school year. Yep, if you feel like you're on the struggle bus, you're not alone. Summer started several weeks ago for us and I felt it too. I'm sharing 5 tips that helped me this year.
Be intentional with your time. If you haven't done the weekly and nightly planning for the next day, it might be time to start. On Sunday define your goals for the week. Get an idea of the general flow of the week, keeping deadlines, meetings, and events in mind (e.g., some summer camps have something special on Friday). Then each night you plan the next day. As an extra layer, compare with your significant other so you partner instead of assuming someone is the default parent (likely mom).
Prioritize. OK, this one works with the planning tip. You need to know your priorities for the week and for each day. That way you know how to maneuver if (when?) any changes that come up like your 9-year-old needing 12 stitches one morning (or is that only me?). You can efficiently and effectively understand how to move things around on your schedule.
Share the mental load. Whether you're tag-teaming with your significant or with neighbors, share the mental load. Don't become the Mommy Shuttle Service like I was when the kids were much younger and I didn't realize how much time was required to go from one place to another without help from my husband and friends with kids at the same camps. Chances are that your significant other might not know how much time it all takes to manage everything with kids' activities changing each week.
Think about how you work. Your usual work style – what is essentially your productivity method – might not work with kids at home. Take some time to consider what changes you need to make in how your work and what will help you be productive this summer. I share more about 3 productivity methods if you want to know more.
Boundaries matter. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Boundaries matter. They matter a lot with kids at home. Figure out how to let kids know when they can have time with you and when you need to focus on work. If you're looking for new ideas, my LinkedIn video on this might help.
What's helping you in this transition to summer? Are there areas you're struggling with?
You've got this,
Suzanne
PS Trying to get everything labeled for summer camp? Check out my favorite personalized stick on labels from Mabel's Labels. | 
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