10 ways to master your inbox and the sandbox this summer

Summer Shake-up for Parent Professionals You’ve packed the snacks, found the sunscreen, and left a 12-page dissertation on what you expect for the sitter and kids to accomplish (and enjoy, of course) on this particular summer day. You longingly look at the forecast and the pool pass on the counter and wonder, “Do they really need me at work today?” Then one of the kids has a full-scale meltdown about their breakfast and you remember that even the worst meeting might not be all that bad.

It’s a mental balance many of us working moms and dads get to deal with in the summer. When you drop those kids off at school, it’s not the same feeling as the separation during the summer. So how do you keep crushing it at work and still feel like a fabulous parent? Here are some simple strategies for summer:

1. Make a simple summer goal list with your family. You’d be surprised at how easy some of your goals could be. Maybe your kiddo just wants to go get ice cream! You can really feel like you’re winning life when you can help them check off their little lists.

2. Get help with meal prep – whether it’s a sitter or a service, don’t spend your precious time chopping and shopping. You can spend more time with the kids when you’re just heating and serving. (Plus, your stress level drops when you have a meal plan.)

3. Wake up just a bit earlier, so you can get your routine out of the way. When you can enjoy even 15 more minutes in the morning with your kids, you will both feel like there was more quality time spent at the start of the day.

4. Don’t overbook your time off. No one feels refreshed after a summer vacation that was too packed with activities. Quantity isn’t quality when you have just a few days or a week off all summer. You and the kids will feel more connected if there’s time to breathe, nap, and relax. (Bonus if it prevents parental bickering as well.)

5. Make a mini tradition with your kids in the summer. Whether it’s a post-breakfast bike ride, a sunset walk, or Saturday morning puzzle time, summer will feel even sweeter when you make memories.

6. Use nature to your advantage. No matter how much time you can squeeze in, when you’re out in nature gazing in wonder at a dragonfly or watching a squirrel climb, it feels like everything slows down. This will help you soak in more summer, even if you’re working 55 hours a week.

7. Work your kids into daily activities at home, so you can feel more present. Since you have to fold laundry anyway, make it a “family fold” night. It sounds cheesy, but if you’re excited, it’s more likely your little ones will be excited. (Bonus if you can get the sitter or a teenage neighbor to fold for you.)

8. Maximize your time at work. You’ve seen the stats that show how we’re really not all that productive at work. What if you really rocked out your work day? Would your boss send you home early on a Friday? What time could you earn back in your life?

9. No matter how long you get to be at home, be present. We’ve heard it so much, but there’s nearly no value in time spent with your family if you are half listening to them while you check your email. If you’re used to answering emails while you put your kids in their pajamas, considering putting your polite out-of-office reply on with the times you’ll be checking email, like after bedtime or during the next set of business hours.

10. Fill your own pitcher. Figure out what you need to feel refreshed. Is it time with a book? A movie alone? Make sure you take care of yourself. Daily. You can’t pour out of an empty pitcher as they say. If you’re depleted, no matter how many life hacks you try, you won’t enjoy summer if you are worn out.

You can look back at the summer with regret or gratitude. When you give yourself permission to implement just a few of these strategies, you’ll thank yourself when the backpacks are back.

Sarah Stokes is the co-owner of Stokes+HERZOG, a strategic consulting agency in Eau Claire, WI. She is a trusted consultant for global and regional companies, helping them with their public relations and recruiting strategies. The former TV anchor who went on to be a publisher of a women’s lifestyle magazine before launching her PR agency has earned several business awards including Woman of Achievement and Extraordinary Business Woman of the Year.

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