Six Summer Tips for Working Moms

I don’t want to scare you but the countdown is on for summer. For most full time working moms, this stems the giant question, what the heck are we gonna do with the kids all summer? Since most occupations don’t come with a built in summer break, we have to plan for our kids to be cared for and hopefully have a lot of fun while we remain in our normal work routine.
For your own sanity, I hope you have already thought through this and have a plan. But if you haven’t, or if you are still needing to iron out the details, here are five tips on how to finalize a routine so you can breathe a bit easier this summer.

1) Camps!

When my kids were little, this was a stressful part of parenting because certain camps would fill up fast so I had to be very organized on registering early in the season. Churches and school-programs like the YMCA often have really good summer camps that have good hours for working parents. I suggest starting somewhere like that and then opening up your search by asking within your community. Once you have a summer or so under your belt, you will be a pro at what camps work for your family needs.

Tips on what to ask when it comes to summer camps:

What is the cancellation policy? Many of the camps we used to use when my kids were young had an option to edit/cancel a week in advance. And if they were sick, there was flexibility around reimbursement for that too. I could breathe easy knowing that if something changes, I am not out all that money.
If swimming is involved:
Is there a swim test? Life guard?
What are the hours?
While a half day or partial week might work for some schedules, we always needed full days of kid coverage. I had to ensure there were options that would work for my work hours.
What will the kids do?
You probably want a camp that will keep the kids busy, safe, building relationships and learning new and fun skills.
What is the staff ratio to kids?
When my kids were really young this was especially important.

2) Call in the Village

If you are lucky enough to have retired parents living close by, ask if they would be interested in helping out this summer. Even if it’s just to pick the kids up from camp sometimes or maybe even take them a whole day once a week. If your family is not close in vicinity, maybe your kids are old enough to spend a whole week (or more?!) away with them.

3) Save Money with a Babysitter/Nanny Share.

After you call on your village for possible help, try coordinating a babysitter/nanny share with another family. One week, all the kids at your house and the next at the friend’s house. Typically, this will run you less than many camps if you have multiple kids.

4) Take Some Vacation for Yourself

Get your vacation days approved now to ensure you get some quality time with the kiddos during their summer break.

5) Coordinate with Your Spouse

Beyond just drop off/pick up schedules. Maybe your spouse picks a couple of days and you pick another couple of days to take vacation time from work. This helps to save a bit on babysitter/camp costs and also gives your kids the chance to just stay home and chill.

6) Keep it Simple.

One summer I recall I attempted way too much variety in what the kids were doing. A camp here this week, a babysitter the next, then a different camp further away and so on. It was just all over the board. It became a scheduling nightmare and I don’t think brought any additional value to my kids than if I had just kept it simple and routine.

We’d love to hear any tips you have as well!