A friend recently told me of a summer mentality a neighbor of his adopted. She’d decided to have a retro 80s summer. And it worked!

She worked from home and, with the kids out of school during the day and providing constant interruptions, she decided to try a new approach to the usual stress-filled dog days of summer.

They’d sleep in, usually waking around eight-thirty. Lunch? No worries, take in a movie with a lunch of popcorn. The beach was another pastime they’d enjoy and really…who wouldn’t? Sunscreen? Eh… She wasn’t worrying about it. They had a bottle of sunscreen, if it was used or not, no stress.

At home the neighborhood was a playground and the kids were sent out to roam for an hour or two of freedom. It worked. The usual micromanaged days of camps, clubs, or classes passed by them without a care or worry. What they had was fun and relaxation.

What do you have planned for the summer?