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8 Ways to Prevent Growing Summer Couch Potatoes

My least favorite kind of potatoes are couch potatoes. Like french fries, they can be salty, but unlike french fries, they don’t leave me craving more. I have noticed that kids, unless given tasks and activities, tend to morph into couch potatoes in the summer months. Thankfully, I have a game plan to get those spuds up and moving. It involves a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of motivation. Here are 8 ways to prevent growing summer couch potatoes.

1. Morning Reveille

There is no school bus to catch in the summer months, so sleeping in isn’t too big of a deal. But, maintaining a regular sleep schedule is a must. Decide when your troops need to roll out of their bunks to start the day and make it stick. This will get them up and moving consistently, making mornings more predictable. When night rolls around, fight the urge to let them stay up until midnight. Get those little ones in bed at a decent, consistent time. This will make those scheduled morning wake-up times more realistic.

2. Get Up, Straighten Up

Set out a list of tasks for each of your children to complete by a specific time each morning. For example, if everyone is up by 8 a.m., they might need to have finished breakfast, made their beds, straightened rooms, and gotten dressed by 9. By getting these things out of the way first thing, you free up the rest of the day for FUN!

3. Activity of the Day

At the beginning of the summer, talk with your kids to decide what their favorite summer activities are. One might say time at the pool. Another might love mornings riding bikes at the park. The more creative types might like to have some time for working on an art project. Set up these standards on a rotating schedule so that there’s a (tentative) plan for each day, and you don’t waste a lot of time wondering or arguing about what to do.

4. Special Outings

The popularity of staycations has taught many families that there are lots of quality attractions and entertainment in your own backyard. Set a budget for the week or month in anticipation of the outings. Find local hotspots like state parks, museums, or theaters. Then work a fun outing into your family calendar every week or two.

5. Friend Time

Some moms find those long summer days easier to fill with creative, active play if their kids have some buddies around. Arrange play dates with friends to add to the fun. As an added bonus, if other moms reciprocate, it may give you some much-needed time to run errands or accomplish tasks you usually do while the kids are at school.

6. Learning the Basics

While the super-hectic schedule of the school year may leave you saying, “I’ll just do it myself, it’s easier,” when it comes to some household chores, summer presents an excellent opportunity to teach practical skills to your kids. No homework? It’s a perfect chance to bring your older child into the kitchen to help with dinner and learn to make some basic dishes on his own. Rainy morning? No better time to learn how to sort a load of laundry and run the machine. They have time to learn, and you have time to supervise—make the most of it!

7. Book Time

Use one of those slow mornings or afternoons to visit the local library. Your child can check out a couple of titles to meet her required reading for next school year, and you may even find a schedule for “story times” for younger children. Plus, many public libraries lend a variety of media, including family-friendly movies—for free!

8. Volunteering Together

Summer is a perfect time to pick a local charitable organization and donate a few hours of help. Even young children can sweep floors and stock shelves at the food bank, or help on the serving line at a local mission. Call ahead to see which agencies welcome such help, and what you might be doing.

What are some other ways you can get those kids off the couch and active this summer?

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