We are sitting on our back porch on an absolutely exquisite May afternoon. It’s 75 degrees with a light breeze and the sun is peeking through the high leaves in our backyard trees. The scene is picturesque and all is peaceful and serene.

Except for the panic that rests just beyond us. It’s most definitely the calm before the storm. Because……..

tomorrow is the last day of school.

I’m not new to this mom gig and I’ve been through my fair share of school’s out for the summer excitement. However, I ignorantly assumed all parents fell into one of two camps:

• Glee. Unbridled jubilence about the summer days to come. Plans for amazing family bonding, trips, joy and endless giggles. Visions of freezer pops dancing through their heads.
• Sadness. The awareness they are now fully responsible for activities, discipline and feedings for the next 80 days. Post-traumatic flashbacks of summers past.

Our last several summers have been enjoyable. Fun, scheduled vacations but also lots of downtime. Friends, family, backyard movie nights, beach time, thousands of popsicles and tanned shoulders. You can imagine my confusion when I intercepted a new emotion when facing down Summer of 2019.

Fear.

Not because I’ll be with my kids 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 77 days. (Who’s counting, right?) I’m actually excited about the possibilities. I’ve had the privilege of watching several dear friends usher their kids out of the nest this spring. Their bittersweet emotions have mine in check.

Time flies and seems to just be getting faster so I’m bound and determined to make the most of this summer. I’m all in. I’ve planned and coordinated and made arrangements. We’re ready to go on all counts.

Except one minor detail.

Attitudes.

We seem to be facing down pre-teen angst and pre-pre-teen moods and pre-preschool drama in a few different ways in our home. Sibling arguments battles fist fights issues have risen sharply in recent days in our home and I now fear I’ll be spending my summer as referee and hostage negotiator versus Fun Mom, Memory Maker.

I forced a family meeting just after school today and asked everyone for their best input. We made three lists.

Summer Fun Bucket List. This includes everything the kids hope to do this summer. Most items are fairly easy to accomplish and, given good behavior, we might make a lot of them happen. Sorry, Disney, you aren’t making the cut. Disney movies, your chances are good.

Action/Consequence List. This list contains behaviors Fun Mom, Memory Maker won’t tolerate. Topping the list are name calling and criticizing. We have several children who might find themselves tied for Most Creative Name Caller and I’ve had enough. I don’t know about your kids but I find having the don’t do items in black and white and hanging in a prominent place sometimes lessens confusion. Apparently I am mute much of the time because my kids often say, “You didn’t say that.” Or “I didn’t hear that.” Many days I think actual words are leaving my mouth but I must sound like the Charlie Brown teacher because they continue doing exactly what I’m prohibiting with my waaa waaa waaa. Just me?

Now I have a list of chores at the ready! No more time out or go to your room for these people. That seems like a mini vacation for the offender. Instead, if there are infractions, they will be matching socks, folding towels, cleaning windows and vacuuming up dog hair. Call me Miss Hannigan but this place is going to shine like the top of the Chrysler Building! For at least four minutes.

Indoor Day List. This is my favorite list of all the lists ever to be listed and the one where I require full participation. This list comes into play when it’s raining or we are otherwise homebound. Items on this list cannot be linked to a device so phones, computers and gaming systems are banned. Indoor Day List was bred out of necessity after the eighty hundred thirty million and seventh time I heard “I’m bored.” They are like a dog on a bone. Once the first kid mutters those words, it’s mere seconds before it spreads like wildfire to the others. Now that our list is in place, I don’t have to speak and can just point to the list. They can’t even fake me out by saying they didn’t hear me because I didn’t talk. I simply pointed.

Boom!

I hope these list suggestions have helped your family. I’m confident they’re going to be life changing for my own, giving us approximately 45 minutes of peace on Day 1. (I really mean 4.5 minutes.) After that, I’m relying on all of you for your fail safe suggestions!

So, come at me, mamas, and bring all your amazing summer hacks for making summer break fantastic.

Or good.

Or bearable.

We will all take whatever we can get!

Happy summer, everyone! God speed!