As a generally stressed-out person, routine sounds intimidating. Anxiety kicks in if we’re running behind schedule. This is why my family prefers to create a rhythm for each day rather than a rigid schedule. Granted, there are some activities that have specific start and end times like my son’s weekly sessions at The Little Gym of Idaho Falls, our necessary doctor appointments, etc., but here’s the difference between a schedule and a rhythm: while a rhythm does have scheduled events, not all events are scheduled. We associate certain events with the days of the week.
Here’s a look at our rhythm for each day of the week:
Mondays are planning, grocery shopping, and animal days. We either visit the Idaho Falls Zoo, take a trip to Reed’s Dairy, or take some extra time to play with our pet at home.
As the weather has warmed up, Tuesdays have become a water day where we visit the splash pad at McGowin Park in Ammon or go to Jefferson County Lake for a swim.
On Wednesdays, we visit theIdaho Falls Public Library even if we get a late start to our morning and miss out on Book Babies. There is still a lot of fun to be had for all ages at the IFPL!
Thursdays are a craft day where we try some simple things at home or go to the Artitorium in downtown Idaho Falls when we’re itching to get out of the house.
Fridays have been dubbed as “movie days!” On occasion, we’ll take the family to Edwards theatre, but we are honestly suckers for the Paramount (you can’t beat those prices!). There’s always the option to have an in-home movie night, as well. Don’t forget the microwave popcorn!
Saturdays are adventure days! We go on a hike (more of a long-ish walk) as a family or try out a new place to eat. “Adventure” is really up for interpretation which is what I love about having a “rhythm” over a schedule.
On Sundays, we take it easy. We take the liberty of sleeping in in the morning (if the toddler allows) and go to church in the afternoon. We make family time a high priority on these days and stick together even if we decide to just keep it simple and read in the family room.
There’s just a taste of what our weekly rhythm looks like for the summer. Some weeks are crazier than others and there is beauty in the flexibility of a rhythm. Whatever your summer looks like, just remember to embrace the special moments with your kids and/or spouse without getting too stressed about all of the scheduled summer camps and family reunions!
