Summer Rhythms

I have a love/hate relationship with summer schedules. Part of me longs to throw off all trappings of the school year—go to bed after s’mores at 9? Sure! Eat dinner watching a video still in pajamas? Just tell us we can’t!

I like to give our family a break from rigid, planned time, especially since our kids’ school days are long, structured, and overstimulating for most of the year. However, just as I can predict having to re-type the word rythym , rhthym , rhythm, a few weeks into summer, I know we’re longing for some sort of routine.

I’ve dreamed of themed days and summer bucket lists and chore training and family “camp,” but the truth is, we quickly fizzle out with ambitious, beautifully crafted plans.

So, here are the rhythms we as a family return to, especially in the summer, for predictable patterns that provide some comfort without being too confining:

My favorite list from Grace Mills I found during the early months of COVID lockdown in 2020. I made my own version on the fridge, and it’s since been covered in spaghetti sauce but is just as compelling:

-What am I grateful for today?

-Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?

-What expectations am I letting go of today?

-How am I getting outside today?

-How am I moving my body today?

-What beauty am I creating, cultivating, or letting in today?

I love the simplicity of these questions, the low-pressure invitation to live without angst but with intention. The answers to these questions can be adapted to any age or ability and can be silently reflected, penciled in a notebook, or shared at a family meeting.

The triangle “life shape” from Building a Discipleship Culture by Mike Breen has been a helpful guide for several years. The basic premise is that Jesus lived his life in three primary relational directions: with God the Father (UP), with the family of God/his disciples (IN) and with God’s world/those who need God’s hope and justice (OUT). He constantly moved between the three, praying in solitude (UP), eating with and sharing stories with his friends (IN), and healing those who were sick and burdened (OUT). UP activities draw us closer to God Our Parent. IN activities build our identity as Beloved and Belonging. OUT activities give us purpose as Co-Laborers with God.

These three areas have been helpful in planning unexpected break time, a snow day, a month, or even a week. This could even be adapted for a day but doesn’t always work that neatly for us. I like looking at a week through this lens. Does our week contain some of each of these directions? Is one direction really out of balance compared to the others? Is there anyone who can join us in these directions? It could look like Friday night worship time (UP), picnic with church friends (IN), and hosting neighborhood friends in our yard (OUT). It could be three separate events as a goal for the summer: take a personal silent retreat (UP), get to know another family or individual from church or another church (IN), and plan a block clean-up or party (OUT).

We’ve used a similar calendar in our house for years now, and in the hazy days of summer, I find the routine comforting and grounding. For us, it’s Mondays—clean fish bowl, Tuesdays—clean bathroom, Wednesdays—water the plants, Thursdays- vacuum the rugs, Fridays—clean the cats’ dishes, Saturdays- change the hamster’s cage. Daily, we do a load of laundry, sweep, make beds, and do dishes. Monthly, we dust, change the sheets (we’re real low-bar over here), clean the fridge, and change our cats’ litter. You can adapt this to your home and your needs, but instead of stressing about what to do each day or trying to clean all in a weekend, this spreads out the work and is easy to remember.

This BORED sign is a new one for us this summer, and I really like it. Instead of these being requirements before screen time (which is hard to enforce), these are up by our kitchen table to give an invitation to make our common home more beautiful, clean, and kind. The STAR review under it wasn’t supposed to be in the photo but since it is, I’ll share about it! We learned this method at occupational therapy about controlling our impulses. It’s actually helpful for all age. Before we do or say something, we stop and think. Then we act, and finally, review how it went. Simple and a good tool for discipleship and community.

What rhythms do you like in special seasons like summer? How do you create predictable patterns with intention to draw closer to God, other believers, and neighbors throughout your week?