1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to organize your summer with a summer spreadsheet. 4 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: By figuring out who will be doing what during each 5 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: summer week, you can plan a more fun summer for 6 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 1: your entire household. I have five children. As long time 7 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: listeners know, we employ a full time nanny, but she's 8 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: generally focused on the baby, and with my husband and 9 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: I both working from home, it's good to get the 10 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: big kids out during the day, and so figuring out 11 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: how my school aged kids will spend their summers is 12 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: always a big project. For starters. Some of their schools 13 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: d at different times in June. Everyone has their own interests, 14 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: which means that they want to do different camps in 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: our area. My husband and I want to take some 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: time off work for family vacations, and I like to 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,199 Speaker 1: do what I call mommy days, one on one days 18 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: with each of my kids too. Keeping track of all 19 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: these dates is far more than my brain can handle, 20 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: and it's also hard to see everything and plan everything 21 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: when I'm just looking at my week by week calendar 22 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: as well. So a few years ago, I began creating 23 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: what I called the camp spreadsheet. I sometimes still call 24 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: it that are just referred to it as the summer spreadsheet. 25 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: I put each child's name in a box across the top. 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: I put the weeks of summer down the left hand side, 27 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: starting from when the first child's school ends and going 28 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: to our school district's post Labor Day start. I mark 29 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: our vacations, and I have the kids go through the 30 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: camp brochures and choose what weeks they'd like to go where. 31 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: Then I do my mommy triage work and do my 32 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: best to ensure that these weeks overlap. If you would 33 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: like to go to theater camp and your sister also 34 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: wants to go to theater camp, well you will be 35 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: going to theater camp at the same time. I try 36 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: not to have more than two different camps going on 37 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: in any given week, because I have learned the hard 38 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: way that all camps start at nine am. Even if 39 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: I have two drivers, it's hard to go for different places. 40 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: The upside of doing this is that I can see 41 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: at a glance who is doing what when. I can 42 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: see if some weeks are getting full. I can see 43 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: if one child is doing less than other children and 44 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: needs to be nudged to figure out something else for 45 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: the summer that's more edifying than watching videos all day. 46 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: That is, attending what I call camp YouTube. I can 47 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,080 Speaker 1: also aim to have each kid have a week off 48 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: here or there during which we can do our mommy days. Yes, 49 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: this is a fair amount of work, and sometimes the 50 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: work is for not like during summer when all the 51 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: camps I had carefully selected wound up canceled. However, in general, 52 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: creating the summer spreadsheet lets me look at the summer holistically. 53 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: I can see at a glance what the summer will 54 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: look like, and by taking time in the first quarter 55 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: of the year to do this, I am almost guaranteed 56 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: to get spots at the camps I want. Often, I 57 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: get an early bird discount, and I'm generally able to 58 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: book summer vacation spots too. Now, I am guessing that 59 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: most listeners don't have five children, But if you have 60 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: more than one and you live somewhere where there isn't 61 00:03:55,120 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: year round school, then I heartily recommend creating a summer spreadshee. 62 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: This can help you and other family members get organized 63 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: around vacations as well. You might decide to take a 64 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: personal day here and there to hang out with kids individually, 65 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: or you and your partner might see when you need 66 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: to split kid coverage or when you have kid coverage. 67 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: And maybe the two of you could even take a 68 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: during the week mini vacation, a day trip somewhere during 69 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 1: camp hours. How nice would that be. I know that 70 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: the words summer and spreadsheet don't seem like they would 71 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: go together, but you know what, I take my family's 72 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: fun seriously, so I have made another summer spreadsheet for 73 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: this year, and I encourage you to try it too. 74 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: You will feel far more organized about the summer, and 75 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: your family will know that there is some serious fun 76 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: coming up in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 77 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 78 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 79 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 80 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 81 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then breakfast p o D. 82 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 83 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com That Before Breakfast 84 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much. 85 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: I look forward to Staying in Touch Before Breakfast is 86 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: a production of i heart Radio. For more podcasts from 87 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 88 00:05:51,440 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.