I don’t know if all tweens are like this, but my tween hates going to bed.  He won’t take a nap to save his life and is usually up pretty early.  He just has this zest for life and doesn’t want to miss a minute of it!

Since school has started, we are trying to be pretty strict with an early bedtime.  During the summer we are much more relaxed. I’m not talking about a late bedtime every night, I’m just not such a drill sargent about getting to bed right on time.

One thing I have learned is that things fall apart if my tween doesn’t get some sleep.  All of a sudden these really minor things or situations turn into all out DRAMA!!  I’m talking tears and other crazy behaviors.  He is a really great, happy kid….unless he is tired.  So, my solution to this is to just get him all the sleep he needs and realize if we let him stay up late…there just might be a meltdown on the horizon.

In my research, I found that tweens need at least nine hours of sleep a night.   I found peace in this once I did the math and found my tween is getting on average, about ten hours of sleep a night.

Here are a few other tips I found to help out your tween with their sleep:

1. Quit Caffeine

2. Establish a Transition (read a book, allow them to relax and have downtime before bed)

3. Stop Snacking

4. Kill the Light

5. Slow Down (re-think your schedule, maybe your tween is just too busy)

6. Children, Sleep and Stress – (your tween could quite possibly be stressed, check in and see how they are doing).

There are a few tips and tricks for you.  Good luck and get that tween of yours sleeping like a baby!!

What are some things you do to be sure your tween get adequate amount of sleep?

One of my favorite childhood songs goes a little something like this,

“What do you do in the summer time, when all the world is green; Do you fish in the stream, or lazily dream, or watch all the clouds in the sky? Is that what you do?  So do I.”

Summer time is a wonderful time of the year.  We have a had a fun packed few months.  On those normal summer days, what are some of the things your tween does?  Here is a top ten of my tween’s favorite summer activities.

1.  Go to the beach and boogie board with his friends.

2.  Swim at the pool (don’t forget his goggles because he has a horrible time without them…sheesh)

3.  Read books – Magic Tree House wins the award for favorite book series this summer.

4.  Play his FIFA World Cup soccer video game on the game cube.

5.  Jump on the trampoline while being squirted with the hose.

6.  Take long family walks.

7.  Spend time playing with his cousins.

8.  Eat lots of watermelon, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

9.  Check LOTS of books out from the library.

10.  Count how many teeth he can lose this summer.

I have really enjoyed this summer with my tween.  I feel like we have really enjoyed our time together as a family.

If I could change anything about this summer, to make next summer even better…this is what I would do.

- Teach Lincoln how to make breakfast on his own.

- Have a little bit more of a schedule when we aren’t traveling.

- Finally, give him a big summer project to work on over the summer (ex. – a poster or bottle for a shell collection)

What would you change or do different next summer with your tween?

Well I did it…I hit WalMart with the school supply lists and The Polished Apple is going out of business so I HAD to take advantage of their 30% off sale and tax free weekend. I now have more bulletin board sets, border and posters than my class room will ever need! There is no fighting it at this point…school is coming and it is coming fast.

The boys don’t head back until after Labor Day but between my online courses and getting my own classroom ready, I know that day will be here before I know it. Uniforms need to be ordered, shoes purchased and two boys I know need to start getting up at 7AM again instead of 9. It may be a rough couple of weeks getting back into the swing of it, but the time has come. Honestly, I am ready for it and I think the boys are too.

As much as the boys may deny it, they crave order and a schedule and the best way to get on one is to start school. They will readily admit that they miss their friends and recess so I’ll use those as selling points when I tell them they need to go to bed at 7:30 I am determined to do whatever it takes to make that first week back as stress-free as I can…for them AND for me.

What have you done to get ready for school? When do you plan to get your kids back on a regular sleep schedule?

I cannot believe that it is August already. Even Sam asked me the other day “Where did June go?” It seems like the older the boys get, the faster summers go by. I am sure it has to do with them both being in school now (and me working there), but the months go by so quickly. We have to get school supplies, get back on schedule and squeeze in the rest of our summer fun in the next four weeks!

Not too long ago, four weeks would have sounded like a lot of time to me, but not anymore. Between one more week of tennis, wrapping up some online work I have, and prepping to teach pre-k this year….four weeks might as well be 4 days! I want to work as hard as I can to enjoy every last minute between now and the end of August. Lots of time outside, afternoon outings and simply appreciating that our schedule is much more open than it will be once school begins.

I think I might like those year round schools. The boys can be in class a few weeks and we can look forward to a couple off. Trying to squeeze it all into one chunk of time just seems to be more stressful. Who knows…maybe breaking it into smaller pieces would not make it feel like it all flies by…maybe not. I just know I would be willing to give it a try

Summertime has brought many visitors and we LOVE it!  Being military and away from family has it’s challenges.  It is often expensive to visit family and not always easy with busy schedules, deployments, etc.  However, it is important to foster those family ties.  I’m the first to admit that I’m not good at letter writing, emails, sending pictures, etc.  I have good intentions, but being a mother is sometimes all I can do with 4 peoples’ schedules, routines, etc; I often “fail” at being the best correspondent.  This is why we love visitors because the kids and I can re-connect with family and show them how much we do love and appreciate them and create memories.

There is a unique “power” found in family relationships.  It is one that transcends through time, distance, and “issues.”  The saying, “blood is thicker than water” is a true statement.  My children see their family maybe once a year and often have gone for longer stints without visits.  Yet, when they are together it is an immediate connection, familiarity, and comfort.

We are blessed this week to have my sister and nephew visiting from Ohio.  It is so fun to see my children pick up like time hasn’t stopped.  We have had lots of wrestling, giggling, dancing and singing and look forward to many more memories of summertime childhood.

Some of my fondest memories with cousins are summer visits, camping, water fun, playing sports, playing on the farm.  I tend to take lots of pictures to capture these memories and make photo albums of family members so that our children are familiar with family members, it reinforces the memories created and becomes a precious keepsake for our kids.

What are some of the ways you foster cousin relationships with your tween?  Do you find the same magic and “power” in family relationships?