A Sample Schedule for a Summer Day at Home with Kids

So you've got the kids, no money and no plans for the day. What is a desperate mom to do? You could barricade yourself in your room and ignore the screams and cries from outside the door. Or you could take a more proactive approach. You can make a schedule for the day. For some, this concept is a foreign one - they like to live in the moment without every minute of their day planned for them. While that approach has its time and place, most children crave structure. Below is a sample of an "at home" summer day with the kids. Edit it as you see fit, but most of all, have fun!

7:00 am - Wake up (you can encourage them to play or read quietly in their rooms until it is time to get up).

7:15 am - Breakfast (do something fun - make pancakes and eat them in your jammies on the front porch).

8:00 am - TV show (this gives you a time for your morning coffee and the kids a time to digest their food).

8:30 am - Get dressed, make beds, and pick up rooms (this means you too!).

9:00 am - Story time (grab a pile of books, pile on Mom and Dad's bed and take turns picking out a book of choice).

9:30 am - Play time (each child can pick a toy or game to play with during this period. Make sure you help them set it up and collect all the things they need before you make yourself scarce. If they choose to play outside, don't forget the sunscreen! ).

10:30 am - Snack time (make it something fun and nutritious like these Strawberry Mice: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/healthy-snacks/strawberry-mice-687541/).

11:00 am - Outside water fun (set up the sprinkler, kiddy pool, slip n slide, or hose).

12:30 pm - Picnic lunch outside on a blanket in the shade.

1:30 pm - Separate quiet time in rooms (let your children collect a small basket of toys from around the house to play with during quiet time. Encourage reading and imaginative play. For younger kids, this can be their naptime).

3:00 pm - Craft time (pull out the smocks, paints, paper, play dough, etc. Try a game of round-robin art: have one child start a picture, pass it to the next, and so on until the picture has gone around a few times and takes shape. Hang this collaborative artwork with pride).

4:00 pm - Bike ride or walk around the neighborhood.

5:00 pm - Free choice (give the kids the option of the computer, TV, or outside play while you make dinner in peace).

6:30 pm - A family game of baseball in the backyard after dinner.

7:30 pm - Baths and bedtime.

Now wasn't that a nice day?