What My Kids Have to Do Before Screens This Summer

OFF THE CLOCK: Happy Friday! It’s almost the weekend, so let’s NOT talk about work!

Okay, so we do 30 minutes of screens after these five things are done. An extra 30 is earnable through extra jobs + work, but usually only on weekends or a rainy day.

And, before I get into our “before screens” list, there's one unspoken expectation around here: get ready for the day. Make your bed, brush your teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast... just get going.

After breakfast, my kids know it's time to start their "summer school" … five habits we’ve been building all summer long.

For the most part, these five things need to be finished before the fun stuff too. Pool. Hanging out with friends. Bike rides. Definitely screens. We’re trying to get the important things done first so the rest of the day is wide open.

1. Do your sticky note chores.

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know my passion for sticky notes! I write a handful of jobs + chores that need attention for each kid. Their rooms need to be picked up too. No messy bedrooms and screen time!

2. Bible study.

The big kids just read through a book of the bible. Wes has a little bible study book.

3.Practice your instrument.

If you are looking for piano lessons, I can’t recommend Hoffman Academy enough!! We do a mix of guitar, drum and band instruments for kids too, however, I would not say we’re super serious about making huge progress in the summer. Just slowly moving the dial.

4. Read for 30 minutes.

They can read anything. The goal is to just keep reading a regular part of their day and to give me some peace + quiet.

5. Move your body.

The older kids usually do some kind of sports “workout.” Wes mostly tags along and joins in with whatever they're doing. It’s not fancy, and it almost always ends with a popsicle.

Anyway, that's it. Five things. It keeps us from negotiating all day!