Genius Dishes Hack for Illinois Parents With Kids On Summer Break

One mom has come up with a genius way to keep the dishes from piling up around the house while kids are on summer break, and it may just help every Illinois parent keep their sanity too.

Summer Break Stresses

Most schools throughout Illinois are on summer break now, so the parental headaches have officially begun.

If you have young children who can't stay home alone while you work, you have to spend all your money sending them to summer camps or sitters. If you have older children you can leave home, you spend your entire workday worrying about what they're doing.

Honestly, I'm not sure what situation is worse. Spending all your money to keep your kids entertained while you work, or cleaning up the mess your older children create while they are home alone.

Sure, you can teach, warn, and threaten your children to clean up their messes while you're away, but you will undoubtedly still come home to some kind of wreck each day.

Summer Break Survival Tips for Parents

Since most parents aren't able to take the summer off to be with their kids, we need to find ways to make the next few months run as smoothly as possible. Some summer break survival tips that I've found useful in the past include;

• Trading babysitting with other moms. Not only will doing this save you money, but it also allows your kids to play with their friends too.
• Give your kids chores to do. If you tell your kids they can earn extra money doing more chores, this will help ease your weekly load of housework.
• Establish bedtimes and wake times. Having and sticking to an established sleeping routine will keep things normal and make the back-to-school thing a whole lot easier.

There's one more summer survival tip that I just discovered this morning that is soo simple, yet completely genius at the same time...buy designated dish colors for your kids so you know exactly who is leaving the messes around the house!

Here are some more great ways to keep your kids entertained this summer, (and your sanity in check)...