Summer Schedule

I love the relaxed pace of summer vacation! But, I hate it when the kids get into the rut of saying "I'm bored, there's nothing to do" and wanting me to magically find something superific for them to do. So I came up with a plan for the summer. I want to limit their screen time (i.e. anything mind numbing and has a screen). I don't mind them having a little more screen time in the summer but I want it balanced with other activities. I don't want couch potatoes that can't remember how to use their brains. :) I want them to come up with things to do on their own and not ask me what they can do all the time. I want them to want to do other things and not complain about being bored. We are on day 4 if this new schedule and so far it's working great. This is how it works:

The boys get 60 minutes of free screen time to be used during the girls nap time and it is use it or lose it. The rest has to be earned. Any screen time that they earn can be rolled over. They can earn screen time by doing things like, extra chores, playing outside, reading their scriptures, exercising, playing the piano and reading to the girls. Some chores/activities get them more screen time than others. For example Twenty minutes of playing outside earns 5 minutes of screen time, 20 minutes of good piano practice gets them 10 minutes of screen time and 10 minutes of reading to the girls gets them 5 minutes. On Saturday mornings they get a free hours of screen time before everyone gets up so they don't wake up everyone in the house playing loudly.

There are a few things they have to do each day such as, reading and certain chores, these don't get them screen time, they just have to be done.

I can't believe how well this has worked! Through out the day Jack keeps asking me what else he can do to earn more screen time. He reads to the girls several times a day and willing does extra chores, exercise and piano.

The kids have come up with great ways to fill their time without using screen time too, lego, origami, crafts, outside play and so much more. They are learning to budget their screen time and think twice before they use it. And my house is pretty clean from all the extra chores they willing do. I LOVE IT!!!! I hope it continues to work this well.