One of my boys has been off from school since June 7th, the other guys finish on Friday. Every summer I struggle with what activities to commit to during the summer. As a child, we had a playground behind my house and every afternoon there were crafts and activities. I’m sure for my mom it was like a built in camp program because she never needed to send us to camp.
Finding balance
Now with kids of my own, I try to create a balance between making sure the boys have something to do and not over-scheduling. On one hand, I want to create the simple life of my youth but on the other, I want to make sure I can enjoy my summer too.
There will always be days when time moves like molasses and the kids are whining. I think these days days are healthy too. If we are constantly scheduling activities, how are we teaching our kids to entertain themselves and be creative? If its hot and I want to do something spontaneous, why shouldn’t I?
Here are some suggestions for managing your summer activities so you can slow down and enjoy:
- Make sure to involve your kids in choosing their activities.
- If you work full time, make a day for doing something special together. Since it’s nice, how about a tennis lesson or hit golf balls at a driving range?
- Make a date for laziness too. It’s ok to take a break. We garden together and straighten up around our house on Saturday mornings.
- Coordinate with his friends to do activities together, this way you can car pool.
- We make a list of all the activities we want to do on the first day of summer. We then post the list in an open area and check off activities as we do them.
- Make time to read!
When the moments feel long, try to remember how quickly the years fly by. Before you know it, it’ll be back to school so enjoy your summer adventures while they last.
What are your plans this summer?
from http://www.flickr.com/photos/44808208@N00/5987316533/sizes/n/
