Often there are summer actives, camps, and vacations that we think are important for our kids. Sometimes we tend to do the same things each year because we think that is what our kids want. Last year I started doing something at the end of summer that helps me plan our next summer. No more asking, “I forgot, did you like that camp last summer?” or “was that a good trip to take at the beginning of the summer or the end”.
What we do now – I write on little pieces of paper each camp, vacation, activity and then we sort of play a game with the papers and rank them. The ones at the very bottom of the list we don’t need to do again, which leaves room for new ideas next summer.
Once we are finished, I take a picture of the papers in order. It’s also a good idea to take notes as to the timing of things. For example, visiting Grandma in Texas is a good idea, however, going in June is better than August because we are usually in our foggy season in June, we call it June gloom. It’s nice to go to Texas and get some sun in June.
I was so grateful that I took the time to do this at the end of last summer. Especially because some summer planning starts at the end of February. My last year's post on this topic reminded me to not make the same mistakes, like only having one day in between two weeks in Texas and one week in Lake Tahoe. No way would I have remembered all those details without my notes and a photo. I love it when I actually learn from my mistakes!