Each year, as summer vacation descends upon my family, I get
a bit nervous about the next three months. I’m the type of mom who appreciates
the routine and predictability that the school year offers—early mornings,
early bedtimes and a chunk of time in-between to stay caught up on my
responsibilities, while my children focus their attention on learning in their
classrooms.

For some, the relaxed nature of summer is an opportunity to not be too busy. The slower pace is a
welcomed distraction and a nice break. But for others, like me, summer is
filled with worry that routine, order and predictability will simply unravel
before their eyes.

Now, please don’t get me wrong! It is nice to have breaks
and enjoy needed rest. However, a three-month-long break causes all that I
count on to get lost in the looseness of summer. There are days when I simply
feel outnumbered by six children asking to do a million different things at
once. And there are days when I feel completely overruled by going to bed and
sleeping in late, losing ground on good study habits that took nine months to
form, and hearing those inevitable words, “I’m bored,” more and more as summer
progresses.

I love my children and am so blessed to be a mom, which is why
feeling anxious about the summer also makes me feel extremely guilty. Why do I
fear having my six children home with me for three months? How can I worry more
about the state of my home than the state of my family? Why am I not welcoming
the lazy, hazy days of summer? Why am I so anxious about a lack of routine?
What is wrong with me?

Late this spring, as I again found myself struggling with
the anxiety, wrestling with the guilt and feeling overwhelmed by both, I began searching
for a solution. How could I reduce the anxiety? How could I maintain a
predictable (but looser) routine? And most importantly, how could I enjoy the
extra time I have with my children during the summer months?

After much prayer, some research and plenty of conversations with my husband, I adopted a four-step approach to summer with the hope of decreasing my anxiety and increasing my enjoyment of summer.

Read about those four steps over at CatholicMom.com. AND join in the conversation here or there! I’d love to know how you balance getting things done with having fun, during the summer months!