Summer Sewing - Making Time to Sew When the Kids Are Home From School

I know that this topic doesn't apply to everyone, but I also know that I'm not the only one who has kids home for the summer and is desperately trying to figure out how they are going to find time to sew.

This year I have a plan. So far, it is working pretty well so I thought I would share it with you. My kids are 3, 8, and 10, so based on your kids ages, some of these may not work for you.

1. Mandatory quiet time for everyone. This occurs everyday during my 3 year old's nap time (12:30-2:30-ish). The 3 year old naps, and the older kids are allowed to do activities that make minimal noise and require no adult help. These include reading, board games, and puzzle books.

2. Craftsy Unlimited. I have done a few Craftsy classes, but I discovered that there is a family section where there are classes that my kids enjoy. There is a MasterChef Junior cooking class that is perfect for my 10 year old daughter and a comic book drawing class that is perfect for my 8 year old son, in addition to a lot of other great options.

We are currently using the free trial, but we will definitely be subscribing once the trial ends. I love that my kids are excited about learning something new.

3. Planning my time wisely. I went onto Pinterest and downloaded some weekly calendars. I had the kids make a list of things that they most want to do this summer and then scheduled them. This way they feel like they are getting to do all of the things they want to do and they don't have to constantly ask me when these things are going to happen.

I am also doing things like proofing patterns during swimming lessons so that I can be productive while they are in their summer activities. 

4. Involving the kids in my quilting projects. This one is a hard one for me - part of what I love about quilting is that it is mine and I don't have to share the process with anyone. My kids do enjoy helping so they have been hanging out in my sewing room with me more often.

5. Podcasts. A few months ago I discovered that if I turned a podcast on for them in their bedrooms, they would go to bed earlier.  They are currently trying to push their bedtimes back as late as they can manage, so this has been a big help. They are huge fans of NPR's Wow in the World podcast. It's a lot of fun, informative, and made specifically for kids. Each of them has an Echo Dot in their bedrooms and I can start the podcasts from an app on my phone.

6. Remembering that we all need a vacation, even from our hobbies. I am going to be doing some sewing this summer, I will even be releasing a couple of new patterns, but I am also going to be taking some vacation time. I love quilting (obviously), but spending time with family is the most important.

7. Giving them something to look forward to - a subscription box. I debated this one, but I decided that it was a good fit for us. After some research, I decided on the Amazon Stem Club subscription. I ended up getting one box for my older kids and one for my youngest. They were very excited to find out that we will be getting some fun mail this summer and we have done this box before so I know it will send us some fun activities. 

8. Movie night - AKA quilt binding time! I like to hand sew my binding, and I enjoy watching a movie while I sew. This summer we are going to be watching some favorite classic films together as a family and I am going to get my binding done at the same time.

Our summer is just beginning and it is going pretty well so far, but do you have any favorite tricks to make time for sewing while your kids are home for the summer? 

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