I am in shock! Just yesterday it seemed like we were shopping for school supplies and I was gearing up to send BOTH my boys off to school for the first time. They started Kindergarten and 2nd grade this year. I was soooooo excited to have 7 COMPLETE hours to myself to get work done! Oh, the new things I could create for ILYB Designs!

And today...it's the official start of SUMMER VACATION for my boys! AHHHHHHH! Where did the time go?

As teachers are joyfully shipping their students off to their parents for the last time this year, parents all over are FREAKING out about what we will do with our little bundles of joy ALL. SUMMER. LONG!!!

I still have so much work to do! How am I ever going to work from home AND have a 6 and 7 year old running around the house, arguing constantly (I mean playing blissfully with each other).

Enter the SUMMER SCREEN TIME CHECKLIST!

I don't know about your kids, but mine are OBSESSED with screen time and only want to play tablets, computer, or watch TV. My sons start asking for tablet time the MOMENT they wake up...AGH!!!

As a mom, I know I need to limit their screen time, but as a human being trying to maintain my SANITY and a work from home mom, I need some quiet screen time (AKA "electronic babysitter") so I can get some work done. All my boys ever want to do is play on their tablet though. That's NOT a good thing. Then when I suggest we just throw every toy away in the playroom because they are never played with...they have a FIT! What's a Mom to do? The key is a balance between screen time and good old fashioned play and maybe let's say, I don't know...some reading to help prevent the summer slump. 🤔

The solution is the SUMMER SCREEN TIME CHECKLIST...of course!

 In order to help the summer run smoothly in our household, I created this Summer Screen Time Checklist. All items must be completed CORRECTLY before they can have any screen time. My boys like to cut corners whenever possible, so I included the "CORRECTLY" in there! (Hopefully this will eliminate bad attitudes that arise when I say "no". Well...a Mom can hope, right?)

Now, I'm no Supermom nor am I a drill sergeant, so I know that there will be days that the list won't be completed in it's entirety. And that's OK! The point of this list is to add some sense of structure to the summer. I'm trying to avoid them vegging out on their tablets or in front of the TV all day long, every day. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the infamous, "Mom, I'm bored!" that makes all of us Mom's cringe!

This list will help guide them in what they can and need to do for the day. If they make it to late afternoon completing items on their list and THEN ask me for some screen time, I will most likely say, "YES!" even though the list is not completed in it's entirety. I'll just be thrilled they made it all day without begging me to play their tablet and occupied themselves with other things.

And of course, there will be fun summer outing activities where the list will probably be ignored for the day.

So, if you're looking for options to help reduce screen time this summer and maintain YOUR sanity, download this free summer screen time checklist and give it a try. Print your own checklist on white cardstock and laminate it. (Any office supply store can laminate it for you if you don't have your own laminator.)

Your child can use a whiteboard marker to check off each item as completed.

And of course, you can adjust it to fit YOUR child. If you think there are too many activities on the list to expect your child to complete in a day, then simply cross some off for the day. You can modify it to fit your family!

Let me know in the comments below how you plan to use this checklist with your family and how your kiddos like it. I'm excited to hear how it helps you survive your summer days!

Here's to a GREAT summer...with as little attitude as possible!!! 😉