The 90’s Summer Mom Guide: Before Noon
Ok. It’s not really a guide. It’s more a framework and a permission slip to help you reactivate those core memories. Also, it started getting really long so this is a Part 1(Before Noon)/Part 2 (Afternoon) situation.
I am really excited about how a lot of my parenting values are finding their way back to the population at large. I’m not a genius or expert parent by any means, but I do think parenting as a genre sort of collectively lost it’s mind for a minute.
People either outsourced it entirely via school, daycare or, screens, etc or they went full “quit-your-job-and-homeschool”.
Wellllllllll, the economy doesn’t support most of the people I know going from a two income household down to one, so you’re not getting any shame from me there.
I wish I could homeschool again full-time, too. Can’t. Not right now.
But I can fill the margins of our days with activities and experiences that encourage learning, growth, and a loving/supportive/stable family dynamic.
Especially, during summer.
Taking your inside toys to play outside is an entire genre of play at our house.
Have you guys seen the Butter Mom trend everywhere too?
The 90’s and Butter! Also, Coastal Grandma? And Kiel James Patrick?
To go ahead and sound like a 90’s movie—“This is our summer!”
Enough rambling. Use this list for ideas and add your own you know the kids will enjoy. For reference, this summer my kids will be 12 (girl) and 7(boy). I routinely push them to enjoy activities that are “for little kids” because that’s a lie and the world is making kids grow up too fast in all the wrong ways.
Responsibilities? Chores?
YAY!
Making kids carry the weigh of current politics? Introducing concepts that are not even understood by grownups? Giving the world access to your babies via technologies?
NOOOOOOOOOO!
Also, before we get into this list I’m not putting things like “take the yacht for a spin”. I don’t love when I see lists that have loads of stuff that don’t apply to us, 1. because I’m a little bit of a hater and 2. I’m a lot of bit BUSY. I need help—not yacht-shaming. (I realize I’m the one currently doing the yacht-shaming…I know.)
Sidewalk chalk is a summer staple. Racetracks, Robot Death Rings, Hopscotch, Potion Dye…so versatile.
There are some things you should know:
We live in a neighborhood
We have animals (chickens, ducks, bunnies (<—sub your real pets in here))
We have incredibly strict guidelines around screens
We don’t do technology in the morning (“no tv, no nothing…” as my son says)
I am at my desk from 9AM-2PM in the summer on weekdays
My kids are 7 (boy) and 12 (girl)
My kids do not have cell phones, a pool, or a trampoline
I make my kids go outside A LOT
We have craft supplies and lots of multi-use toys
My kids can play Super Nintendo (my old one!) and watch “old shows” on tv after their summer lists of chores and school is done for a total of 1 hour.
So here we go…
Breakfast:
Make breakfast together
Leave out ingredients and let them pretend it’s a “hotel breakfast”. We do this a lot. When you’re a kid, choices are fun!
Leave out a recipe or guide for them to follow to make their own breakfast (this can be super simple)
Have the kids make their own guide or recipe book of the breakfasts they can make
Let them film their own cooking show to a personal device or just pretend
Have them play restaurant (order toast!)
Porch swing is the coveted 30 min outside reading spot.
Morning:
Neighborhood walk (I do this with the kids. No alone wandering in the city.)
Animal/Pet check and chores (Turn this into a game called “Vets”—totally works.)
Morning reading time outside. If they do this everyday then we do something fun on Friday’s like with a movie together as a family.
Morning garden check: What bloomed? What’s growing? Let them give you a report.
Morning weather report: Let them record their own weather report on a personal device or just have them present this to you or their stuffed animals.
Kids make their own weather report board. (We have a Moon Picnic Brand weather board my son still uses for this. It could be good inspo.)
Build a fort to play with all day on hot or rainy days. (This can be inside or outside.)
Sidewalk chalk racetrack: We have RC cars and the kids will draw their own tracks
Sidewalk chalk robot ring of death (Can you tell I have a boy?) We make a big circle on the driveway and then use RC robots/cars/trucks/dinosaurs and try to bump each other out of the circle. It's like sumo wrestling/marbles with lots of cheering, aggression, and testosterone.
Play cars or monster trucks or army men or bunnies or farm in the garden. Just taking your kids little toys outside can give the “toys” an entirely new landscape to play in. Good imagination stuff.
Make “potions” or “stew” outside with nature stuff. Don’t drink it, homies. (Fun tip: my kids use ground up sidewalk chalk to turn it colors. FUN!)
Sword Fighting: We have foam swords and the other day we found massive wooden swords at the thrift store so these have been getting a workout. Lightsabers work, too. Long sticks also works.
Give toys a bath or hot wheels car wash. Kids love adding soap to water.
BUBBLES! We do a lot of sword fighting “poison bubbles”.
Pretend camping. The kids pack snacks and supplies and pretend they’re on an outdoor adventure in the back yard. We do not have a large backyard, but we do have lots of plants and animals. They also have pretend bow and arrows they use for this game. (Suggested rule: Don’t shoot the chickens.)
Plan a dinner. We have lots of cookbooks. The kids will find recipes they want to “us” to make and plan dinner parties. It’s so fun, you guys. And good for fractions and planning ingredients. It’s a win. No “what’s for dinner” and you have time to grocery shop or Instacart.
Flower pressing. My 12 year old is really into this right now.
Make ice cream. Here’s my “yacht moment”: we have an ice cream maker. But the kids love to come up with new recipes and it lets me use up egg yolks and raw milk and pretend ice cream is healthy. Also, god to start this project in the morning so it’s freezing the rest of the day and overnight if needed.
Rock collections. We have a rock collection that was mine growing up and the kids love to pull this out and play “rock store” or use books to identify rocks. They also like to use them as “treasure” to play treasure hunt with. (Suggested rule: YOU HAVE TO TELL MOM WHERE YOU HIDE THE TREASURE. I feel like you all know why…)
Jungle monster trucks is a current favorite game.
This list is really just to get your brain going and to give you some easy suggestions to throw out to your kids.
If your kids are not used to technology-free, imaginative, outside play—GODSPEED. Jk. Jk.
They’ll get used to it. Really, they will. And they’ll like it.
Kids are rad. They will figure out how to have fun. There will be some initial reluctance and “I’m bored”s, but you’re their mom and you’re giving them boundaries and opportunities to grow. It’s literally your job.
The boundaries are a gift. I promise.
I’ll do afternoon stuff next.
Stay cool! LYLAS
