How to be a Happier Stay-at-Home Mom this Summer

8 proven ways for the Christian mom to be more peaceful and joyful this summer with kids at home!

Does the thought of the last day of school make your palms sweat and your mind feel panicky?

Maybe summer feels like a season of survival, rather than a season where you can thrive and grow in your relationship with your kids while they’re at home.

In the past, you’ve been a grumpy mom.

Barking orders, impatient, irritated that your kids are irritated with each other and it just. won’t. stop!

I know this feeling. So, so well. Sometimes it can feel discouraging to WANT summer to be better, only to have things turn out exactly the same way they did the year before--when you can’t wait for the middle of August to arrive. 

You want to be a happier stay-at-home mom this summer. And more peaceful and patient with your kids. 

When we prepare ourselves spiritually, emotionally and practically, we’re more equipped to face the inevitable adjustment period of having the kids around each other all day (when they aren’t yet used to it) and the change of routine (or lack thereof!). 

I want this for all of us! A fun summer that we don’t dread :) 

So let’s talk about eight strategies that will help you be a happier mom this summer.

How to be a happier mom this summer

1) Commit yourself to pray and stay in God’s Word even more often during the summer months.

You don’t even need me to tell you why this is necessary. ;) 

If you struggle with finding time to pray, here is the best five-minute strategy to make your prayer life better as a busy mom that I’ve found to work for me!

Bonus: This strategy helps you teach your kids how to pray too.

If you are looking for a summer Bible study plan for your own devotional time, check out our 90 Day Topical Bible Reading and Writing plan! 

2) Plan some fun summer activities at home.

Brainstorm a bucket list and write down all your ideas (you can find a free summer fun bucket list printable I created just for you!).

Ask this simple question when your kids say “I’m bored!” to make your kids think twice before they say that again! :) 

Need inspiration and ideas for screen-free activities? You can find some really great suggestions (I polled 20 moms to get their tried and true ideas!) in our 101 Screen Free Activities for Kids post.

Click HERE for 101 fun and simple suggestions of things to do over the summer with your kids.

3) Implement a summer routine that works for your family.

Kids thrive on routine. It gives our children comfort and security to know what to expect.

It doesn’t have to be rigid, but it’s good to have rhythm to your day. I’m working hard on that this summer with my kids because it helps me from going crazy, and keeps everyone happier.

Here’s a sample summer daily schedule for kids (useful for when you have multiple ages of kids like me!).

It’s one we’ve used with our own children in the past and plan to do again this summer!

4) Let it go (Elsa’s advice is actually useful here).

Don’t be SO focused on making plans that you can’t see the forest for the trees!

When you are a person who thrives on a plan, it can be a double-edged sword. It’s great to have rhythm and routine, but it’s ALSO beneficial to just be the spontaneous mom too :O) 

Some ideas for spontaneous summer fun:

• If your kids just want to snuggle and watch a movie some rainy afternoon, do it!
• Grab a bag of books from the library and read outside in the yard during quiet time instead of sending everyone to their rooms (make your nappers nap of course!)
• Get together for last-minute pool play dates and leave the cleaning until later.
• Make a summer bucket list jar and grab something out of it when everyone’s feeling especially restless.

The beauty is that when you have a rhythm and some routine, it’s actually easier to be spontaneous because you know the time will come to get everything done later.

Related: 7 Quick Wins to Make Summer at Home with Your Kids More Fun

5) Remember WHY you love summer (this is essential)

Summer is really an ideal chance to create memories and form bonds with your kids. Look at the trying days as opportunities, rather than obstacles.

I KNOW this is hard. I fail a lot. But you’re not going to have a good experience in motherhood if you just allow yourself to dread everything all the time. Fight for joy in motherhood!

6) Study the Bible with your family this summer.

Doing a summer family Bible study can be kept really simple. Something really basic can be super effective and great for conversation!

Choose a reading plan (like this six-week Proverbs reading plan) and use it for family devotions each day.

Don’t know how to do family devotions? These tips for starting devotions in your home can help having devotions together feel less awkward and more rewarding! 

If your kids need to work on “taming their tongues” around each other, I have a 10-lesson family Bible study called Minding Your Mouth that can help.

7) Stop listening to all the complaining.

I’m not talking about your kids complaining, I’m referring to moms who complain about their kids.

There was a point in my life where I just had to stop participating in conversations like this because it was making me feel even more frustrated and ungrateful with my own kids.

Believe me, I’m not perfect. But we become what we expose ourselves to. If you are convicted when you find yourself in the middle of one of these negative mom conversations, can I encourage you to just step away? It can lead to a change in your attitude for the better.

8) Have clear expectations of your children for the summer.

If you want your kids to participate in chores, talk to them about it before the summer begins. This year we are sitting down and making family promises to each other about what we want our summer to be like. Let your kids give suggestions too!

There will be time of stress as you get used to being around each other again, but you can press through the summer with confidence knowing what a blessing it is that God gives us different “times and seasons” to be with your kids.

I love the verse in 1 Timothy 6:17 that says “God has given us everything we need for our enjoyment.”

God WANTS to bless our time and our efforts with our kids! And even if we aren’t in a perfect place, He will do this because He loves us and desires for us to enjoy motherhood. 

I pray that these tips will help you have a happier and more joyful experience as a stay at home mom, together with your kids! 

Need some extra help with your summer?

I don’t know about you, but I always approach summer vacation with excitement mixed with some nervousness.

I love the freedom and lack of routine in some ways, and in other ways it scares me that my patience won’t be able to survive unstructured time with all my kids home 24/7.

But, just like coming up with some great activity ideas to break up the days, I’ve learned a little summer planning can go a long way.

Summer comes with it’s own set of specific “planning” challenges though.

We need a routine for us AND the kids, we want the kids to pitch in with helping around the house and our schedule will be a mix of organized events and spontaneous fun (which is good!).

We need ways to get things done, but also space for last-minute ideas. 

So to help with this, I created the Purposeful Family Summer Planner!

It’s a printable resource designed specifically for moms who are at home with their kids during the summer. (That’s my experience as a work-at-home mom, so I can only speak to that). 

Not only will it help you organize your time, but it also lays out a plan for a strong devotional life for your family as well as a guide to making a “family strategy” for the summer, so you can all discuss your priorities and make plans together too. 

I really believe that creating a “whole family” plan and not just individual plans for each person will help your summer goals, strategies and ideas to actually be accomplished, because they are a cooperative effort!

(I’ve created a video for you along with the planner explaining how to create a whole family plan for your summer!)

This summer, I want you to be ready with a plan, be a happier more patient mom and enjoy making lots of fun memories with your kids!

Want to see what’s inside the Purposeful Family Summer Planner?

Click the button below for details and get your copy for a special price!

Show me the Purposeful Family Summer Planner!