I am all about planning for a season, so of course I love planning for Fall!  I am a mom who wants to do EVERYTHING a season has to offer!  In fact, I struggle with a disorder called FOMS (fear of missing something).  If there is something to do that is fun and has the possibility of creating a memory, I want to do it!  However, trying to do it all causes serious anxiety, not just for me, but for my family!  Trying to do all of the fun things, PLUS trying to do all of the normal things, is just not possible.  So, here is what is working for me!

Make a List for Fall:

I love lists because it gives me a good idea of what everyone in the family would like to do.  By getting input from each family member, I get a good pulse on what would be the biggest bang for the memory buck that season.  For the summer, TJ and my husband and I had a list of at least 15 things.  But then, it is the summer with so many activities offered and so much time!  With the Fall approaching I start to get a little stressed.  We have school, soccer, piano lessons, church, birthday’s and more.  How were we going to fit in everything fun? 

When I ask my son what he wanted on his Fall bucket list, he only wanted to go to the Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, trick-or-treat, and carve pumpkins.  THAT IS IT!  I don’t have to worry about trying to fit it all in!  I would have tried for so much more!  We may try to fit in a movie night outside or a bonfire, but I know if we hit the items on his list, he will be a happy boy!  I also recommend getting things on the calendar now! If they are scheduled, they are much more likely to happen!

Remember YOUR Family Season:

Your kids and your family are in a certain season of life.  What they like now may not be what they like forever.  So two things….1) Embrace the season they are in now.  Maybe they love dressing up and trick-or-treating as a family.  They won’t always.  There will be a time that they would prefer to hang out with their friends or even choose another activity over Halloween altogether.  Enjoy what is going on right now.  2) Some things may have to wait.  In my wanting to do all the things I have often tried to do things that make little sense for my busy little boy.  In our season we don’t often stay out late for events, we don’t watch Halloween movies outside of Charlie Brown, and we don’t do anything labeled “Haunted.”  My little guy has a huge imagination and scares easily, so Halloween is very low key!

Don’t Stress and Have Fun:

Take it easy and don’t stress.  Your kids will have more fun with a calm and focused Mom doing one activity, than a frazzled mom trying to do everything! Believe me, I speak from experience!

I hope this helps as you plan for Fall with your families.  Remember, what kids want most is quality time.  Find out from them what they want to do, make a plan (if it makes sense) and keep it simple.  Don’t compare to other’s Fall seasons, don’t make it meet Pinterest standards and don’t do the “I should’s”.  Do what makes sense for your family, in this season, and make some memories!

What is your favorite Fall activity in this season of life??

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Read more planning ideas for Fall or download your copy of a Fun Family Fall Bucket List today!!!