Your Summer Doesn’t Have To Be So Complicated

With the onset of summer come many simple joys: longer days, warm nights, relaxed schedules and spontaneous plans. For moms with kids still at home, though, those same charms can also be cause for stress. The pressure of planning a fun-filled family summer without the comfort and cadence of school-year routines can hit like a plastic toy car under a bare foot (how did that get there, anyway?). Meals, snacks, activities, drop-offs, vacations and camps, all while trying to hold on to your own sanity—it’s a lot. But it doesn’t have to be.

Set some (malleable) ground rules

Children thrive on routines, which can support cognition, self-regulation, academic skills and mental health. In the summer months, kids' schedules don't need to be as strict as school routines. Instead, try coming up with some simple (and malleable, because life happens) ground rules that let them know what to expect. This could be anything from designated screen or online time, to mornings of free play, to kitchen hours when you make yourself available to fashion them a snack. Specialized day camps are another great way to keep kids in routine while exposing them to new activities, be it the arts or sports.

Stay connected—your way

Keeping on top of your cellphone plan shouldn’t be one of the things you stress about this summer—or any season. And it’s easier than ever to manage your unique connectivity needs with Fizz. If the phone debate hasn’t hit your house yet, it’s coming: according to MediaSmarts, more than half of Canadian kids ages 9 to 11 already own a smartphone, a number that climbs to 81 percent by ages 12 and 13. 

Fizz offers flexible plans that can be changed once a month, with updates applying to your next billing cycle—scale up your data when your kids are at sleepaway camp (so that they can text you photos, of course) or scale it down while you’re on a family trip to the cabin with no cell service. Fizz has no long-term contracts, offers coverage across five provinces and ensures that any unused data is automatically rolled over to the next month. The price you choose is the price you pay—no surprise fees, no overages, no roaming charges—so you never have to worry about what your kids are racking up. And if one kid burns through their data while another has some to spare, the data gifting feature lets you transfer it between plans instantly. Travel add-ons make it easy to stay connected, hassle-free, whether you’re road-tripping to the grandparents’ house or flying to the other side of the world. The best part? Plans are fully managed online, with no lengthy phone calls or in-person store visits needed.

Welcome boredom

It’s not a matter of if but of when: “Mom, I’m bored.” Those three words can either instill panic or calm, depending on how you look at it. Instead of rushing to grab the colouring books or dropping everything to play a game of cards the second your child announces their boredom, encourage them to be resourceful and find their own fun.

Boredom (within reason) is actually a benefit for kids: it encourages creativity, problem-solving and decision-making skills, and fosters emotional regulation and patience. This isn’t a suggestion to ignore your kids when they express how they feel—rather, it’s an invitation to gently encourage them to come up with a few ideas on their own. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised.

Give yourself grace

Remember that it’s your summer too, so be sure to schedule in time for pedicures or patio lunches with friends—whatever recharges your batteries. And give yourself grace throughout the season. Not every beach day will be executed seamlessly. Not every road trip will be carsick-free. Not every meal will be cooked with fresh produce from the farmers’ market. Summer is busy, and spontaneity is part of the fun. Sometimes you just need to order pizza for dinner and call it a day, and that’s okay.

Ready to simplify one more thing on your summer list? Visit fizz.ca to find a flexible plan that works for your family.