Every day do something to stretch your mind and something to stretch your body.
Clean up after yourself in a timely fashion. "Timely" means cleaning the kitchen after you finish eating, NOT cleaning the kitchen when you're ready to begin cooking the next meal.
Do not sleep the day away. Get up in the A.M. hours.
Be social, but don't be afraid to spend time by yourself.

During the school year kids can watch one movie a week. During the summer that is lifted, but for every movie you must watch a documentary.

Are you doing any camps at all? At that age, I did two weeks of camp, and two weeks off, and repeat.

My kids like the pool, so they hung out there most days.

Mornings (before pool opened), were for some academic work "if" they needed to strengthen a particular area (not work ahead). If not, they had to read for an hour.

Anonymous wrote:Summer's here! Yay and ugh. I am anxious as my tween kids are in cranky stage and for the first summer have a less day-camp structured summer than in years past.

Please pass along any sage advice for summer house rules that worked for your family. Structure and expectations that worked.

My kids are 11 and 12.

Checklists of responsibilities/chores/opportunities for earning money, etc.
Limits on screen time.
Bikes -- giving them opportunities to run errands for you or earn points for miles ridden, etc.

Part time jobs -- gardening for neighbors? Pet sitting? Mother's helper?

Summer's here! Yay and ugh. I am anxious as my tween kids are in cranky stage and for the first summer have a less day-camp structured summer than in years past.

Please pass along any sage advice for summer house rules that worked for your family. Structure and expectations that worked.

My kids are 11 and 12.