I used to look forward to summer. This meant no school lunches to be made. Baths were even more optional. No carpool. No homework. My oldest three would just stay occupied by playing with each other or by themselves for hours on end. But my youngest is a busy bee with ADHD.  Summer now can easily be seen as something to survive instead of relax. I am like, “WHAT AM I GOING TO DO FOR 2 MONTHS!?!” I can’t play with my busy bee all day, everyday. Playing alone is not easy for him. Boredom stresses him out. He has all this energy and not sure what to do with it. He prefers engagement with other humans. He prefers activity. He is a happier, calmer person when his body is in motion. SO WHAT AM I GOING TO DO FOR SUMMER?!?  

I now understand my girlfriend who had 2 busy bees boys.  Summer was not a time to relax but a time to orchestrate, manage and become like a cruise activities director.  At home without plans or structure is recipe for stress for him and myself. So time to figure out Camp Copeland. I had to figure out how to best thrive in a time that has the potential to feel like survival.

How I best survive:

1. I have to get up way before he does. This is not easy since he is generally an early riser.  But if I want any silence and solitude- this is a MUST.  I need this time to pray, read my Bible and journal. I also just love to listen to the birds and smell the dew in the morning air. I see this as time to fill my cup before needing to pour out much of myself all day long.
2. I reached out to the moms of all his closest friends and found out their vacation times and penciled them into my Dollar Tree calendar.  I needed to know the times where everyone was gone so I could proactively try to plan activities. Camp would be an amazing option but it is not  in the budget so we figure out other fun.
3. Each morning (I do this the evening before if I already know the plan) I write out our plan on a mini whiteboard for him to visually see. With younger kiddos, use photos or pictures. But kids with fastbrain/ADHD/just plain busy, they need to know what is ahead because their little brains are eager to do the next thing. I found out ADHD brains are literally under stimulated and that is why they are continually are seeking out external stimuli like climbing things, sucking on things, talking, touching EVERYTHING etc. I used to exclaim, “Do you have to touch EVERYTHING!!” Yes he does. This is how he processes the world. This extreme curiosity as a kinesthetic learner is what will lead to cool things in his life. Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are thought to have ADHD and these fast brains allowed them to think outside the box due to the immense amount of thoughts they have. I try to at least list our plan for a few hours at a time. I do not often put times because I need the flexibility but if I know a time, I put it there because the less uncertainty he has, the better.
4. Build in lots and lots of outside time. The more active he is, the more centered and grounded he is. There are so many benefits of being outside like vitamin D from the sun. I LOVED the book, Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li which informed me of so many health benefits with just by being near trees like boosting one’s immunity. The harder he plays then the harder he sleeps. And the dirtier he gets, the better. Thankfully we have a huge park just a .5 mile away. So lots of park time. We have many great hikes nearby as well. We also have a swimming pool which is a Godsent!!!! So I am trying to plan my day around these priority blocks first. 
5. Plan for chillax time with a good movie I choose for them.  I can’t afford to be on the go with him.  I can’t afford it financially or emotionally/mentally as an introvert.  I also love to be home and have lots of work that needs to be done there. So I pick a good movie that gives me a break too if I need a nap or if I need to focus on an email or a task that cannot be done with him talking to me. I do not allow him to be on screens without asking so when he does get the chance then he enjoys it more and actually wants to sit for it. 
6. Plan friends to join us as much as possible. I am currently writing this from an indoor gym/playplace.  He would be “bored” after 20 minutes if we did not bring a friend with us. I totally called it. We had a friend here with us but she just left. Shortly after he came asking if I could come play with him. 
7. Keep the healthy snacks coming. A hungry kid is a cranky kid.
8. Allow ample time for boredom even if it stresses us both out. Boredom is often the precursor to creativity. Creativity does not often happen if screens are allowed all the time. Kids will often turn to videogames, TV or an iPad if allowed. But they are robbed the magic of make believe.
9. Weekly plan something out of the daily usual like baking, art,  or a fun snack. 
10. Weekly plan a mini field trip to like a local hands on museum, hike and picnic,  or take the bus to the next city over to the dollar summer movies etc. My son is obsessed with public transportation.
11. Dailly I want to read 2 chapters or listen to an audiobook of a favorite chapter book.  They can keep their hands busy and heart engaged by playing with kinetic sand, orbies or coloring or water color.  My hope is to get through at least one longer book then watch the movie if there is one. Check Read Aloud Revival for great stories. Just 2 nights ago we finished Charolette’s Web and he was so moved by Charolette that he cried. On the drive to church tonight he asked if someone can have 4 names. I said yes and he said, “Oh great! I want to name my kid Charolette A. Cavatica and then when she is about 5 or 6 yrs old I want to read her the book.”
12. Daily read a picture book of my choosing. There are sooo many beautiful stories out there that I want to share with them. One never outgrows picture books. 
13. Then I may plan a bigger thing once a month like take the Metro train to the beach for the whole day.