Are You A Teacher Mum/Dad?: Try These 5 Tips For A Summer of Rest, Memories & (SOME) PRODUCTIVITY

As I write this, it is my first full day of summer vacation. Year twenty is officially in the books, and what a good year it was. For the first time in a long time, I didn't end this school year barely crawling across the finish line; but, instead, I crossed confidently with my head up - even feeling like I could keep running if I had to, but still grateful for the chance to rest and cool down since it was offered. I am excited for some time off this summer, of course, but I'm also inspired and enthusiastic about next year. It's a great way to end.

It hasn't always been this way. Just three years ago, I shared on social media about the crazy burnout year I'd gotten myself caught in as a Head teacher. Years 17, 18, 19 were some of my hardest school years ever, and I found myself overwhelmed, stressed, and even considering other careers. I'm happy to report that - thanks to a fresh start, a lot of prayer, and REALLY taking care of my self and the amazing tools and tips I gained from being a part of an amazing leadership coaching group I can finally say that my 20th year has been a good year!

This is why, I have made it my mission to help other teachers and keep mentioning it all the time (The Importance of Wellbeing, work life balance and taking care of yourself).

The transition from full-time teacher to full-time stay-at-home-mom and dads in the summers, is something teachers don't talk about nearly enough. Don't get me wrong, this time at home with my children is a blessing that I don't take for granted, (because if you know us you'd know that we also spend a lot of time apart). But the initial shift can be hard. During the school year, our home (mostly) runs like a well-oiled machine - we have no choice but to stick to a schedule and stay on top of things like homework, meal plans, and laundry; but, in the summer, it's easy to let a few days of well-deserved "relaxation" turn into a MESS of neglected chores, pajamas all day, too much screen time, and no real opportunities to re-charge. I've spent too many Augusts looking back on my summer and feeling like it was wasted - there are too many things not checked off on my "Summer To Do List" and way too many missed opportunities with my family. Can you relate? Now, thanks to the lessons and strategies I learned during the school year and my past experiences, I'm determined to stop that crazy summer cycle, too.

With that in mind, here are five strategies that I'm planning to adapt and implement at home with my boys (Daniel, almost 18, and Youssef 10, this summer. Join me?

Daniel and Youssef

5 SUMMER IDEAS FOR TEACHER MOMS AND DADS

1.) Have an end of summer vision and be realistic about what you can accomplish during the "Time Off".

In years past, I have made a massive Summer To Do List with 5,289 fun things to do with the children, 224 projects to complete which also included travelling more than 10,000 miles on transatlantic flights to the caribbean, and lofty goals to lesson plan for the entire upcoming school year while simultaneously reading 135 novels and more. Anyway, ten summers have taught me that these lists really just hang over my head in June and July and cause silly stress in August when I realise that I won't be able to accomplish even half (1/4th?) of what I'd hoped to with my remaining time off...

Basically, what I'm getting at is to encourage teachers to stop thinking about what they want to do NOW; and, instead, to ask themselves "What do you want your life to look like when the summer is over?" Then, from there, we must be realistic about what we can ACTUALLY do with the time we have, and celebrate small victories along the way.

Youssef has always been the braver of the two on our travels.

For me, this year, I've divided this "summer vision" into four main areas: the children, Family, School, and Self. Then, I set just ONE primary goal for each of those categories based on where I want to be come August. Mine are ---

• CHILDREN: I want to have been present for the summer with my kids - not so busy doing chores or work or playing on my phone that I miss just being with them.

• FAMILY: I want to Travel home to the caribbean and spend time with my parents, siblings and grandparents.

• SCHOOL/TEACHERPRENEUR: I want to have a detailed "sketch" of the school year in terms of how I'm balancing my time, ensuring I'm producing valuable content that is helping each and everyone of you in more ways than one and working on expanding my network for collaborations and partnerships in education and international teaching life.

• SELF: I want to develop the daily habits of exercise in the morning and reading before bed.

2.) DEVELOP SOME BASIC ROUTINES, SYSTEMS, AND RITUALS.

I like my summer to feel "free," but I also realise that a little routine and structure go a long way in our home. My children, and me, really benefit from having a loose schedule built into our day. For example, this summer, I'm planning to wake up at 5:30AM every morning (thirty minutes later than my school-year wake-up time) to have my tea and do some reading/writing in a quiet house. Then, while my husband is still home and - if I'm lucky - and the children agree to it, I plan to go for a short jog/walk with them along the seaside, then come home to shower and get dressed. I find I'm way more productive and our days go a lot smoother if I've done these three things between the 6:00 and 9:00am time span when I need to be fully "on" as Mom. Also, let's be honest, if I don't do some of this first thing in the morning, I will NEVER do it.

As for the rest of the day, we will shoot to be out of the house for some kind of activity (cinema, beach - we live on the coast;) around 10AM and home by 6:00pm at the latest for naps/quiet time and showers and help my mum with the prep for dinner, and/or work with my son on some extra enrichment things. Then, after supper we'll spend some time playing together and laughing at each other's jokes until my brother or dad joins us. Then it gets wild as all the nephews and my grandmum and cousins come over. At night, before I go to bed, I'll write out my plans for the next day so I can wake up already ahead. This schedule won't work out every day (duh), but it actually helps me relax knowing that there is a general plan for each day.

3.) FOCUS ON ONE MAIN THING EACH DAY, AND DO IT FIRST.

One of the biggest things I've learned is to find my main thing and do it first. So, between the hour or so I'm planning to carve out in the morning and the two hours(ish) while the children are doing their own stuff. I will have some designated time this summer to do things I want/need to do. I really want to encourage all teachers to choose one Main Thing they will focus on each day - something that, if you do only that, you will still feel like the day wasn't a waste.

For example, I like to write, and my own blog gets neglected a lot during the school year, so I'm hoping to set "write a blog post" as a Main Thing for at least one day a week this summer. Other days, my Main Thing might be "asking Daniel or Youssef who are both really good with tech to help me edit the videos for the 30 hours work week course which will LIVE inside my Patreon community this September " or "finish and put away laundry" or "grocery shop and cut up fruits/vegetables." Whenever possible, I want these small things to be related to the bigger End of Summer vision mentioned above; but, I also realise that life with little kids requires a lot of "logistical" tasks too, and that's OK. The key is deciding what's important to me when and then DOING IT. That way, I'm in charge of my day instead of the other way around.

Of course, because I'm an obsessive list-maker, I will definitely have other things I hope to get done each day, but if the Main Thing will be my priority, and I'll feel good if that - and only that - gets done. I typically make a decent sized "To Do List" and then highlight one item. Then, it's like a game for me to see how early in the day I can get that one thing crossed off. (I highly advise you to do the Main Thing FIRST before you have time to make excuses or fall down a rabbit hole doing something else.)

4.) HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING.

I admit that I'm a bit crazy when it comes to organisation at home, but I really do focus and relax SO much better in a space that is neat and tidy. (Messes make me feel overwhelmed and anxious!) Just like in my classroom, I've realised that one key to this is giving everything it's proper place. I keep a pool bag packed by the front door with towels, floaties, sunscreen, and my favourite book and unicorn planner (yes, I admit it, I am a unicorn lover). I keep a basket in the living room with library books and extra page parkers. And, we keep bug spray, bubbles, and other "summer staples" in a little bin on top of our refrigerator.

From there, I make a genuine effort (with the help of the boys if I'm lucky) to put things back in their designated spot before we leave the house in the mornings - so we don't come home to a mess, and I can immediately get to whatever it is I want to do during the day - AND before bed every night - so we can support my mum by waking up to a neat house and can enjoy my tea and cappuccinos and reading/writing time without thinking about the chores I need to do.

Does everything look perfect all the time? Heck no! But giving everything a PLACE to be put-away really is half the battle, and - when it does work - the mental/emotional benefits (to me) of a clean space FAR outweigh the extra effort it takes to put things away in their place.

5.) GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO REST AND REALLY "BREAK" FROM WORK.

Finally, remember that there's a reason teachers have breaks --- I liken it to a pilot or a doctor only being "allowed" to work so many back-to-back shifts without a night off -- we NEED them. Try as we might, we aren't actually super heroes. (Sorry!) Our job requires us to be "on" every day and we put in way more than the 8-hour workday we are actually at school. If the school year is our marathon, summer is the party with free food and two days spend laying around "recovering" after it. I think not giving yourself the opportunity to truly relax and be refreshed in the summer is a surefire ticket to the burn-out zone.

As you saw from above, I'm fairly regimented with my time, even in the summer, but I generally set aside the weekends as time to sleep in, browse the mall, watch something on Netflix, and stay up late reading a book just for fun and also getting away. These weekends are what allow me to be productive during the week and to go back to school in August feeling ready to go again!

If you like and are energized by the chance to lesson plan or pin ideas for your classroom over the summer then, by all means, DO IT. But don't make yourself work over the summer just because you feel like you "should." Do only the things you truly enjoy and WANT to do for school over the summer. Trust me, all that stuff will still be there in the fall, and you will be a better teacher/wife/mother/husband/father/friend etc. if you've given yourself time to be restored.

Take a nap. Paint. Go on a hike. Let your children watch an extra movie so you can drink an iced coffee on the front porch in peace, and DON'T feel bad about it. Try to see "Personal Development" as an investment that is equally as important and valuable as any "Professional Development" and remember that modeling self-care for your kids is a great gift to them!!

So, there you have it! Here's to summers full of rest, memories and *some* productivity, Enjoy!