The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, rain storms pop up, and it only means one thing: May is here.  We’re that much closer to summer, and we’re that much closer to summer vacation.  Our kids are thrilled but that leaves us mompreneurs feeling a bit stuck.  All that time we had, the quiet because they were at school, the overall peacefulness will be nothing but a memory.  How do I know?  This year was my daughters first year in school and this will be my first summer vacation.

In less than one year I have gone from the eternal work-at-home mom with a child home 24/7 to the work-at-home mom who needs a summer vacation exit strategy so everything can go as smoothly as possible.

Last year I had a plan.  Last year I knew how to keep my daughter entertained long enough to get some work done.  All of that knowledge went out the window as quickly as it accumulated.  It is time for me to prepare a survival guide, one that any mom can draw from as needed.

Summer Vacation Survival Strategy #1:  Buy a wireless router and a laptop.

When I invested in my first computer, I made sure it was a laptop.  Why?  Because I wanted my business to move with me.  Any trip to town that would leave me setting somewhere for a period of time became an opportunity to get a little work done.

Acer makes the perfect little travel computer called the Acer Aspire One.  They can come with up to 160gb, 1gb of ram, and they’re very affordable.  Remember when you were willing to dish out the cash for an iPhone as soon as it came out?  The Aspire One is a measly $300 in comparison.  It’s a great laptop to move with.  However, if you’re ready to upgrade and move off that desktop, buying a regular size laptop isn’t a bad idea either.

Once you have the laptop, make your home office wireless.

The moment you go wireless, you will not regret it.  You’ll be able to move freely through the house and work where you need to be, rather than tying yourself down to the office and leaving every time your kid(s) holler for you.  If you don’t move too far away from the house, you should also be able to supervise your children while they play and bring your work with you.

Summer Vacation Survival Strategy #2:  Say no or delegate.

It’s not going to be as easy as it was during the school year to put in a full day.  Summertime might be the perfect time to delegate some of your unpleasant tasks to a virtual assistant.  If you work with clients of your own, that does not mean you have to pass on the work they pay you to do.  Instead, you could assign your VA to handle some of the tasks that you hate handling about your own business.  Either way, once you eliminate some of that stuff you will find the time you need for your family while they are home.

If that isn’t possible, don’t take on more than you can handle.  This can mean you should say no to more work, or even skim some of the fat off of your daily routine.  Now is not the time to push yourself too hard or else that stress will linger long after you’ve walked away for the day.

Summer Vacation Survival Strategy #3:  Set up play dates.

They’re not in school anymore and they will most likely miss the interaction they had with the other children.  Talk to their friends’ parents and see if you can work out some days when your child(ren) can come over and, in return, set up a day that their child(ren) can visit at your home.  Play dates are good for your children and the couple hours of silence you get will be precious to you.

Summer Vacation Survival Strategy #4:  Sign your child(ren) up for camp.

If you have young children, day camp will allow them to go off to a camp facility each day and come home in the evening.  Depending on the camp this could easily last for a week or two.  Your children spend the better part of the day gone and you get silence.  However, that  silence does come with a price.  Keep that in mind when you sign them up.

Then, if you have a preteen or young teen they can go off to overnight camp.  There are a variety of camps to choose from, each of which can offer something that your child is likely to find interest in.  Camp is also a great place for older children to meet people from areas outside their local surroundings and even make a few new friends.