Being a homemaker is not a seasonal job. You have to keep laundry from piling, keep people alive and make food day in and day out no matter how beautiful it is outside. But with some intentionality in your work, you can use these homemaking skills that will free up your summer days to enjoy more time with your family.
Depending on where you live – if you own a home or rent, city life or country – you may not be able to implement all of these homemaking skills strategies. But even practicing a few will help you not miss out on those beautiful summer days.
12 Homemaking Skills that will Free Up Your Summer
1.Kitchen Days
Look at the weather forecast and plan a kitchen day for a rainy day. Or a hot muggy day if you have air conditioning at home. Prep as much of your food for your meal plan on that one day so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen for three extra hours on a beautiful day when you could be sitting outside or swimming in the creek.
If you have extra freezer space, fill it up with bread, cookies, and Crock Pot
2. Use the Crock Pot or Instant Pot
Making one-pot meals will free up time cleaning up and will reduce the heat that you are 
Set it and forget it so you can come inside and dish up dinner quickly and easily. Prepped freezer meals are great because you just pull them out and throw them in!
3. Teach Your Kids Homemaking Skills
By teaching your kids homemaking skills and meal prep, you can finish projects a little quicker with their help. Team up so that all the housework gets done quickly.
If you are all in the house doing your chores (folding laundry, vacuuming, washing dishes, unloading the dishwasher) at the same time, then no one feels like they are missing out.
Have a fun activity planned for when all the chores are completed. Go swimming, take a bike ride, play a yard game like croquet.
Read More: Working with a Toddler in the Home
Homemaking Skills Your Son Should Know Before Leaving Home
Another important thing to teach your kids is how to get a healthy snack. When I was growing up, my Mom did not go in the house to get snacks every time one of us kids wanted one. She would’ve never gotten any work done outside!
Instead, I learned at a young age how to fry an egg for a fried egg sandwich. I learned how to slice cheese, peel hardboiled eggs, make toast and slice up a carrot or apple to dip in peanut butter. 
4. Work Outside
Figure out ways to do your work outside. Snap beans, shell peas, peel apples, mend pants. Sure, this is all still work, but it can be done in the beauty of nature.
Read More: How to Can Green Beans
5. Gardening is a Homemaking Skill
Gardening is a wonderful way to enjoy the summer, save money and provide healthy food for your family all at the same time!
And remember, teach your kids to help and enjoy it, too.
Read More: 6 Forgotten Veggies You Should Grow
6. Forage Berries
If you live in the country or want to take an adventure and find public land, go forage berries
Look up the time of year each berry will be ripe and go find some! [Pssst! The best wild blueberry picking I’ve discovered is a public forest that had a fire go through about 15 years ago. The wild blueberry bush is one of the first things to grow back a after a forest fire.]
7. Pick your Own
So maybe wondering through unfamiliar forests isn’t your idea of fun. Find a produce patch with pick your own! Pick your own berries for preserves and freezing. Or just fresh eating.
In late summer and fall, find pick your own sweet corn, cherries and apple places. Let your family get in touch with the sources of their food.
8. Wash Windows
Ok, I know this isn’t the most popular option for enjoying summer days, but it’s gotta be done. So why not enjoy it?! And teach your kids to help so that next year you can sit on the porch and sip lemonade while you point out their streaks. 😉
Any jobs that include water are a fun summer activity.
9. Hang Laundry Out
One sure way I get outside even on a busy day is hanging laundry out. It’s just a few minutes
If you don’t have a clothes line, set up a drying rack on your deck or drive. No laundry to do? Drape throws, blankets and pillows outside to get 30 minutes of sun bleaching. This helps chase hiding cooties out of bulky items.
Read More: My Natural and Affordable Laundry Routine
10. Take Your Planner to the Beach
I’m not an advocate for sitting on the phone during your family time. But taking your planner along on family outings isn’t quite as involved as phone work.
Plan out your meals for the next month. Lay out your budget and put down reminders for bills. Jot down reminders for birthdays and other events. Or just doodle!
11. Landscape
Mow lawn, plant a flower bed, make a rock wall, weed whip or any other things that will make your home beautiful are all great ways to get the whole family outside.
12. Self Care: Beyond Homemaking Skills
And the most important way to enjoy your summer is to take care of yourself. Take your favorite book, podcast or craft out on your lawn chair with a glass of lemonade enjoy! Or send your husband or mom to the beach with your kids and stay home for a nap in the AC.
Be creative in how you get your work done this summer. Don’t look back and see what you missed doing. Look back and see all that you accomplished and all the memories you made with your family.
And good memories don’t just come from play. Many good memories come from working along side each other as a family, too! So tweak your homemaking skills enough to make this summer fun.
