I know many of you are working on building a daily routine this week. Below you will find a sample routine by the hour for children ages 6 to 12 during summer break. If you watched my video on Instagram yesterday you already know, idle time is not on the schedule. Even in the summer. Especially in the summer. Because idle time is the devil's playground and we are not renting him space in our homes. 😂 This is just an example. Adjust the times to fit your household. But keep the structure. Structure is the gift.OTHER AGE GROUPS HAVE BEEN POSTED MORNING 7:00 AM -- Wake up, PRAY , hygiene, get dressed This means: bathroom, wash face, brush teeth, hair done, clothes on. All of it. Before they come out of that room. Non negotiable. 7:30 AM -- Breakfast They help set the table and clean up after. Every day. 8:00 AM -- Morning devotional or Bible time Keep it simple. One verse. One question. One prayer. Ten minutes maximum. The goal is consistency not length. 8:15 AM -- Chore time Every child in this age group has a morning chore before anything fun begins. Make the bed. Wipe the bathroom. Take out trash. Sweep the kitchen. Whatever it is in your home -- it happens before play. Every single morning. 9:00 AM -- Learning time Summer does not mean the brain turns off. One hour of intentional learning every day. Reading (a real book, not a screen). Math practice. Writing. A workbook. An educational program. Something that keeps the mind working. 10:00 AM -- Skill building or creative time This is the hour they get to explore something they are good at or interested in. Drawing. Building. Cooking with you. Learning an instrument. A sport. A craft. Something that develops WHO they are. AFTERNOON 11:00 AM -- Outdoor time or physical activity Outside. Moving. Every day. Non negotiable. Their bodies need it and so do their emotions. 12:00 PM -- Lunch They help prepare it at this age. Even something simple. A sandwich, a salad, heating something up. Life skills are built in the kitchen.

Father God, We come to You this morning… Not perfect. Not having it all together. But present. Cover our minds today. Every heavy thought… Every anxious feeling… Every moment where we feel overwhelmed… Give us peace. Not temporary peace… but the kind that settles us from the inside out. Cover our children. Their behavior. Their emotions. Their hearts. Where there is defiance, bring understanding. Where there is frustration, bring calm. Where there is distraction, bring focus. Give us wisdom as parents. When to speak. When to be quiet. When to correct. And how to lead without losing ourselves. Cover our work today. Whether we’re at home or outside the home… Give us strength to handle every responsibility without feeling consumed by it. Lord, regulate our emotions. When we feel triggered… slow us down. When we feel tired… renew us. When we feel like giving up… remind us why we started. Help us not to carry yesterday into today. Today is new. New grace. New patience. New opportunities to show up better. And most of all… Help us lead our homes with love, structure, and clarity. We give this day to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father God, We come before You this morning asking You to deal with rebellion not just in our children, but in us as parents. If there is any spirit of rebellion, defiance, or resistance trying to operate in our homes, we rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Our homes will not be filled with confusion, disorder, or constant power struggles. But Lord, before we only look at our children… Show us ourselves. Show us where we have been inconsistent. Show us where we have avoided correction. Show us where we have led out of emotion instead of wisdom. Remind us that we are our children’s first teacher. What we model… they learn. What we allow… they repeat. What we correct… we change. So if there is any rebellion in our homes, give us the humility to ask: “Did I teach this in some way?” Not to shame us… but to grow us. Teach us how to lead with authority and consistency. Teach us how to correct without anger. Teach us how to build respect in our homes the right way. We don’t just want obedient children… We want homes built on truth, order, and understanding. So start with us, Lord. Refine us. Correct us. Strengthen us. So we can lead our children the way You’ve called us to. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this prayer is for you today, comment: “Start with me, Lord.”