AIBU to set a summer schedule for my kids this summer holidays?

[livingthroughchaossince2010]

I have 5 children, the oldest is 16, the youngest is 5. With the summer holidays coming up I realised that I don't have to have summer be as stressful as possible! We are going abroad for 2 weeks but we are home for the other 4 weeks. And every year I lose my mind during the summer holidays. All 5 kids being home for 6 weeks is a recipe for absolute disaster! So I am trying to set a schedule this year, hoping for the best. The schedule is:

Everyday: Everyone is awake by 9am, chores whilst breakfast is being made, clean up after breakfast, 30 minutes of school work to avoid the school slide over the summer, lunch, every evening one of the kids helps cook dinner, dinner, give the house a quick tidy, then for the younger kids it's bath then reading then bed at 9:30pm
Monday: Creative Monday - Build something, do some arts and crafts, be creative
Tuesday: Trip Tuesday - Go on a trip to the zoo, aquarium, a day trip, beach day
Wednesday: Water Wednesday - Go to the swimming pool, a splash park, see if there is any water parks, maybe turn the garden into a mini water park - if its raining then we change the plans of course
Thursday: Thinking Thursday - Library every week then we go to a museum, historical location or we go to an event that is encouraging learning
Friday: Friday fun day - Bowling, Mini golf, cinema, theatre and then we have a family movie night at home that evening
Saturday: Relax - We have no plans!
Sunday: Sunday Reset day - clean the house to have a nice clean house for the week ahead, my DH and I will plan for the week ahead and meal plan, family takeaway night

The teenagers obviously don't have to follow the day to day schedule. They have to be up by 9am, do chores and do their school work but they don't have to come with us to every location we go to during the week. This schedule is more for the younger kids benefit!

I told another mum my plans earlier this morning, she thought I was bloody mental for trying to schedule the summer holidays! Apparently the summer holidays are for relaxing and no plans but every year I go insane and this feels like an efficient way to solve the yearly summer holidays stress! My kids thrive when they have a routine.

Am I unreasonable for setting a summer schedule this summer?

Too regimented for me

My 14 year nephew is working so the older ones could be doing something. He is in a local shop.

Younger go with the flow. Yes have ideas of days out weather dependent.

We used to have holiday clubs and chill days.

But if this works for you go for it.

This sounds fab! My kids are 4 and almost 6 and would love this level or organisation. I'd say allow some flexibility for the weather and I think it's fair you've not asked the older ones to join everyday but it's nice to have a plan and some routine.
My kids will probably be up at 6.30am most days but I plan to look at the week ahead on a Sunday evening and book bits in.
I've already had a look on the city website for things on in the holidays and have marked them on the calendar and then we will do similar activities to what you have said.
My husband works shifts so his days off aren't the same every week.

If you want to make a cute summer holidays calendar or daily schedule for the kids - I used ChatGPT as it came out great! I've also made an "I'm bored" poster filled with all the things they can do and play around the house. We go out every day but not all day!

YANBU to try and make the summer holiday as stress free as they can be, but I don’t think your plan will work. May be for week 1, but everyone’s will power will fall away. I think the risk is it being more stressful sticking to the plan than going with the flow. Can you get them to help you make the plan, perhaps week on week you can plan on a Sunday for the upcoming week? It could allow for a reset if things don’t go to plan one week.

Maybe you shouldn't have had five kids then.

I think it’s very sad that people CHOOSE to have larger families and then make the oldest children ‘work’ doing household jobs and looking after the youngest children. It’s not the 1950’s and those tasks should remain the responsibility of the parent.

Some of my friends who grew up in larger families have chosen to have one child or no children at all, because they hated that aspect of their childhood and don’t want to re-create it.

The only chore my 17yr old has to do is feeding the cats and he adores the cats. He’s got years of having to be a responsible adult and making him do stuff now won’t make life any easier for him as an adult, it’s just taking on the drudgery earlier.