Hey there! Having a plan for meal time will save you so much time and stress each day during the summer. Remember the most important thing to do this summer is to have fun making memories as a family. This rule also applies to meal times.
Start a bucket list for summer meals. Everyone in the family can suggest what they want eat during the summer. I would let whoever picked the meal help cook it. I love having kids in the kitchen. It’s a wonderful opportunity to build relationship alongside reinforcing math, reading, and science skills.
Don’t forget yourself mom! You get to pick some meals, too! One of my favorite summertime meals is chicken salad. We’ve taken it up a notch this year by making our own mayo for it! Instead of boiling a whole chicken, we save tons of time by just buying cold rotisserie chicken. It also keeps the kitchen from getting hot!
You can have a separate bucket list of places you want to go eat during the summer as your budget allows. Many restaurants have “kids eat free” nights, and there are always coupons in the newspaper. Letting the coupon decide on the restaurant might help avoid arguing about which place to go. My go-to summer meal is sushi because it’s cold and fresh.
Does an ice cream truck drive through your neighborhood? My kids love those - and mine are almost all grown now! That can be a really fun way to break up the day. Making your own ice cream is another fun summertime activity. One my favorite summer memories is cranking the ice cream maker. It was also a great time to chat with my dad and uncles who were doing most of the work.