If you’ve stuck with me through the first two posts, you now have personalized goals and action items to help you have a summer that’s exactly what your family wants and needs.

You can catch up by reading the first two posts here:

• Peace or Panic: How to Plan a Summer Break that is Perfect for Your Family
• From Dreaming to Doing: How to Create Simple Summer Goals You’ll Actually Complete

Forming a Summer Routine

Chances are you already have a daily routine. Maybe you get up and make coffee, or perhaps you read or pray before the chaos of the day gets started. Whatever routines you already have, if you have school-aged kids, they are about to turn upside down with the start of summer break.

This summer I’m trying something new. Before my kids default to a routine of screen time and complaining, I’m going to attempt to build a summer routine that will help us meet our goals.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says, “children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar.” They explain that routines help build independence and the ability to adjust to change more easily.

My boys thrive when I take the time to create a routine for us. A routine means they are able to do more independently and when they can do more on their own, this mama has the freedom to accomplish her own goals, like washing, folding and putting the laundry away.

But how do I create a new set of family routines for summer?

Habit Stacking

Studies show one of the best ways to create a new routine or habit is to connect it to a habit you already have. James Clear, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, shares his habit stacking formula like this, “After/Before [current habit], I will [new habit].”

For example, one of my family’s summer goals is to have family devotionals at least three times a week. Our school mornings are consistent, with me preparing breakfast as the kids watch TV. After breakfast we pack backpacks and head off to school. This summer, my new habit stacking routing will be, “After breakfast on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we will read the daily entry from Adventure Bible Book of Devotions and discuss.”

Review your summer goals and see if any of them could be built into a routine via habit stacking.

Invite a Friend

Summer can feel lonely. Many of the activities where we would normally connect with friends, both the kids and my own, are on hiatus, leaving me and the kids feeling isolated. With the start of summer, I suddenly feel responsible for the full-time occupation of my two boys. But I’m not alone. All my mom friends are navigating this summer transition too. It’s time to join forces and conquer summer together.

One of our goals this summer is to have a playdate at least twice a month. The next step towards accomplishing this goal is to reach out to some families to make plans. I want to build a routine of inviting friends to join us in our everyday life. If we’re going to the library, let’s invite a friend. When we’re playing board games on a rainy afternoon, I’m committing to texting a friend to join us.

My new habit stacking routine will be “Before leaving for an outing or planning an activity, text a friend to join us.”

I want our goal of more playdates to turn into a new routine of inviting others to join us in our everyday lives. This is where lasting friendships grow. I’d love to see my boys develop deeper friendships, and honestly, I’d love to experience this within my own network of friends as well.

Track Your Progress

One final thought as we wrap up our Summer Goal setting series: be sure to track the progress you are making on your goals. It is easy to glance back over the summer and focus on all the things you don’t accomplish. But taking note of even the tiniest progress you make will encourage you to keep moving forward. Dreams grow little by little. You can do it!

On a personal note, I’m going to attempt to track some of my summer goal progress on IG. I’d love for you to join me there @kimjsmithauthor.