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?

Apart from feeding the dog, all of that list can be done the night before.

They have 6 other days of the week they can see their friends. 9am is a lie-in considering my teens wake up at 6:30am on school mornings. My 16 year old son who finished secondary school last month has been waking up around 9am anyways. And yes, 30 minutes of school work won't harm them, it will only help them for the next academic year

I think it sounds great. So much less thinking day to day on how to get through the day. It’s like doing the meal planning on Sunday for the week, such a relief not to have to think about what’s for supper every day and know that everything needed will be bought on Monday. Makes sense to me.

What was the point in asking if you clearly think you're right and aren't actually interested in anyone disagreeing with you?

I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a rough plan.

but there’s no way we’d be able to afford all that for 6 weeks and I only have 2 kids (plus we work and actually they’re in childcare for a lot!)

OP, that’s nuts and unfair.

Kids need a break from routine, not another one imposed.

It’s fine to have a couple of core rules / plans, but it have to accept that part of the summer is the absence of routine, which yes, makes it hard for parents.

Mine are all teens; honestly as a busy working single parent, I find it exhausting trying to keep track of them and plan evening meals and so on. All of them play sport and that continues in the summer so that does help as we still have training on weekday evenings at fixed times.

I’ve certain core expectations around checking in, jobs in the house, and the older two have summer jobs, but I do expect them to spend a lot of time out with friends, chilling or making last-minute plans to go out.

School work in holidays is madness too.

Oh god no. We are very relaxed in the holidays one of the joys of being a child.

Our oldest has even opted out of the summer holiday.

I recently shared a room with my teenager on holiday. Whereas I woke up at 7 naturally and then snoozed a bit until 8, he was absolutely fast asleep in the mornings. Didn’t even stir. It seems like the mornings are the deepest and highest quality sleep he gets.
To address the OP, I totally agree with the routine idea but I would let the teens sleep til 10 (when you take the little ones out I would imagine) and give them the evening chores. Mine get on with their jobs at 9,10 at night and seem to be happy with that. Things like unloading the dishwasher ready for the morning, taking about bins, wiping down the surfaces which have been used to prepare food all day. Works for us - could that work for your family?

Mine wake up approx 9 - 10 am too but they take their time getting up, showered, dressed & fed. It’s a bit irritating if I’m WFH and I will chivvy them a bit but demanding a 16yo is up, dressed and ready for chores at 9 am is really unfair.

I'm glad we don't have all these chores. I just empty the bins when they're full or the night before bin day!

I wouldn’t impose doing school work in the holidays - sorry, but that’s pretty miserable and they need a break!

Meant to add, I would replace school work with reading for pleasure. We did this in lockdown when ours were primary age. Adults and children read for an hour a day (together in the same room like a library!)

It all sounds hideously controlling to me, and it worry about you trying to treat your dc as a single group rather than recognising they are individuals at different developmental stages with different needs.

But if it works for your family and your teens are on board then it's up to you!

Sounds awful. Let them have their holiday and let them sleep!

Sounds awful.let the older ones do their thing find summer clubs for the little ones but relax

9 am and chores … op god the holidays are supposed to be about them getting time to breathe after a year at school! Have some of the days tagged in your head but making a timetable no matter how fun sucks the fun right out!!

Chores keep this household running! They do have time to breathe, my 16 year old has been following this morning routine for a month and he's had plenty of time to relax

My teens get up sort animals, do dishwasher, change bins etc.
Gasp they also mow the lawn weekly.
Big families work differently i think.
Once chores are done the day is theirs...if they choose to opt on or out of activities that is fine.
We have limited screen time though so they tend to join in with us most days 😊

We also throw in hairdresser, dentist, school uniform shopping and stationary shopping so that's 4 days planned.

Sounds like utter torture! Do you never just want a “down day” I would hate to tie myself up in knots like this. Because once you say it out loud and start, how do you justify it if YOU want a day to chill?!

I might add this to our day now we have outgrown quiet-time 😊

When do they get to just be kids and play?

I intend to do some written work/art/poetry/music stuff with them each day and chores too, before they can have relax time.
They need to come and family dog walk in the morning too. Food prep / help is shared We will then have various activities/days out but if it's a home day, we need a structured approach or it is just carnage especially as husband WFH 2 days a week. It's not a timetable exactly, but definitely a structure. I developed a model.in COVID lockdowns.to save my sanity. My own rule.is no rose before 6pm! I have 4 children 14,12,10 and 7. Two dogs two cats. No family help.

Sounds like a recipe for Disaster Darling! I dont think Teenagers will welcome this at all TBH.Let them chill a little .They are regimented all year!

What is it that parents think they have to constantly be doing something on a school holiday ? This seems OTT.
Do children not know how to occupy themselves at all ? Don’t you expect them to be able to ? You don’t have to do something with them every day. Nor every minute of every day.
By all means do nice things together, but children can learn to enjoy themselves by themselves too.

It’s better to keep to a basic sleep routine and most young kids will be awake well before 9

op has said the older ones have more flexibility so the only think would be to allow them to negotiate timings because they may well want to sleep later