Maintaining "Mom Sanity" over the Summer

I love every minute of it! We've declared this the summer of friends for all of us, and we're hoping to spend a lot of time with friends. We don't live in a neighborhood, so we have to make an effort to see people. This summer we're going to try to make an effort. We have passes to a local waterpark and the zoo, and we're planning several day trips to places nearby. I strictly limit computer/video game time for both of my boys because I don't want them spending all of their time inside staring at the computer or TV. We watch movies in the afternoon sometimes when it's super hot outside, and we spend mornings and evenings outside grilling and gardening. I LOVE summer! Fun, fun, fun!!

Go to the pool - every single day! It exhausts them!! When mine were little we just went and played. Now we do swim team. I pack lunch so we can stay even longer after practice. Bonus of that is no lunch mess at home. LOVE it!

I work full time and hubby is home with my kids and they are not school age, yet, but I thought I'd offer some tips that work well with my husband!!

Have quiet time every day - even if it's not 'nap' time. This can be right before or right after lunch or even in the middle of the afternoon. Every one has to go to their designated spot (room, couch, computer, etc) and do a quiet activity - read, play on the computer, nap, etc. I would say no to the TV so you can let them watch it at a different point, but you may choose to use this time for TV time as well.

I like the Girls Night Out (we call it GNO here) as well as Library time. Do you have friends close by that you could swap with once a week? You could watch her kids for an afternoon then vice versa? What about family? Could they take your kids to the movies or swimming one afternoon so you could have free time?

Take advantage of free activities, parades and VBS. These will keep your kids entertained on the cheap and allow you to keep your sanity!

im planning on doing a craft night or moms night out with my lady friends at least once a week.
i was going to register for a fun summer class at the local city college, but everything is full!!

I homeschool, so it's not any different;-) Just lots of activities and things to keep them occupied and living in the moment and loving the ages they are.

The best thing I have going for me right now is "girls night out" this evening. As far as during the day, I found a local bookstore near me that does story time with a free craft and snack that is suitable for kids up to age 10. Other than that, it's a moment by moment for me so I'll be curious as to what others will say so I can steal their ideas:)

i don't do things for myself necessarily but i do occupy our days as much as i can so that no one gets bored. signed up the kids for camp for two weeks from 9 to 12. i plan on picking them up and driving to the beach every day.
they will also take swim lessons for another two weeks every day for 40 min each day and then again drive to the beach. my kids love the beach and so do i so that is it. we have two planned vacations, one week each so i feel like the summer is short as it is.

Our town park has a 3 hr program mon-fri for the kids, 2 weeks of swimming lessons, tennis lessons are offers free to the kiddos, we will go to the library once a week they have free passes to local museums and zoos that we can take out, I'm thinking about joining old Sturbridge village it's close by and a nice place to let the kids walk around, we have outside time in the morning, come in for lunch, color, chores, snack, a little wii, then outside in are yard or to the town beach for a bit. I think keeping to somewhat of a schedule helps so they know what's coming.
I love it when they are home in the summer it's Christmas, winter, and spring vacation that drive me nuts it's usually too cold to go play outside long, too snowy or Ivey to want go drive anywhere, and they are generally sick.

Edited: ooooo I almost forgot google kids bowl free :) they get two free games a day you only pay the cost of shoes.

I make sure to spend at least an hour of uninterrupted focused time doing something with my son in the morning, afternoon and evening, so the I don't feel so guilty when I'm on mamapedia the rest of the time...

I loved summers-we lived at a lake-it was wonderful. It was the school year that I dreaded-I loved the kids schools-and love education-but it was difficult maintaining a schedule with 5 children in 4 schools and all the other stuff-I had to be somewhere every 15 minutes for much of the day. The only appointments I made in the summer were for water skiing lessons-and they were never before 6pm. I would give anything and everything to have that time again.