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| Make your own Summer Bucket List this year! Involve the whole family to sit together & brainstorm ideas for summer fun and activities-- however simple or grandiose those may be! If you're looking for some bucket filler ideas, check out my Pinterest collection here to get you started! What's on your Summer Bucket List this year? |
Many families and children look forward to camp experiences whether they are day camps or overnight facilities. Many parents' work schedules do not change in the summer months even when their children's schedules do! Some parents eagerly await that last day of school as much as their children do and some approach these months with fear and trepidation. I tended to fall somewhere in both categories when school let out and my months at home approached. In addition, I knew as the summer months approached last year that I was not planning to return to work the following Fall. This was a huge change and one that I simultaneously embraced and had reservations about. I took to the books and blogs, planned what I could (as I always do!) and I realized as I researched that this topic was not unique to me at all. Many parents have mixed feelings as those summer months approach and wonder how to approach this time with their families while maintaining some semblance of sanity. Around the same time, I came across several articles including this one in Psychology Today on the benefits of boredom in children. I remembered my own summer vacations as a child. We did attend some camp programs during parts of the summer, and my mother was frequently at home during the summer months when she was teaching. However, our days were not filled to the brim with planned activities and outings. We spent a lot of time playing independently, playing with friends and playing outdoors. We had time to have fun, to get into mischief, to feel a little bored and subsequently conjure up more fun and mischief! And so my plan for surviving the summer without school was born--and now I invite you to join me and
Get BORED This Summer!
- Balance:
- Find a comfortable space between routine and schedule: having a predictable "order" of events as opposed to "sticking to the clock" is one benefit of a lighter load in the summer. Find a balance that works for your family.
- Choose a comfortable ration of structure to spontaneity: rules and limits are important and consistency is the cornerstone of childhood security. That said, a later bedtime once in awhile to accommodate a summer sleepover or free concert at the park won't destroy the boundaries you've set for your family; it may produce a slightly more tired child (and parent) the next day. Decide when it's OK to bend the rules a bit and make way for some summer surprises.
- Organize:
- Make a Summer Bucket List--kids from about the age of 4 can be included in compiling a collection of activities to do at home, outside, in the community and beyond
- What will your days look like? Are there times for active play, quiet time, chores, screen time, outdoor activity, camp/work, etc.?
- Fill a bucket, jar or container with ideas/activities that can be pulled out when you need a boredom buster. Older children can help come up with these ideas as well.
- Realistic Expectations:
- What are your daily anchors? These are the activities you do individually and/or as a family NO MATTER WHAT that help you to feel grounded even when things get a bit chaotic. Perhaps it is your morning cup of coffee. Perhaps it is reading a story at night with your children. Perhaps it is prayer or meditation...
- Do-overs are OK: I love this one all year round--when all else fails, make breakfast for lunch (or even dinner) and start the day over. It's OK to say it in front of the kids, too! "Things are rough right now! Let's have a do-over!" Imagine what a gift you give to your children to allow them see you catch yourself in a rut or a foul mood and try again.
- Self-care: When our children act out, we have mental checklists we go through as we trouble-shoot: are they hungry? Are they tired? Are they frustrated with a task that is too difficult? Are they sick? Are they worried about something? And then we tackle how to help. Do not forget this list for yourself! Make sure you are nourished in mind, body and spirit this summer and all year round. Do things to feed your soul daily, however big or small. Children learn so much about following their passions when they see us nurturing our own. We cannot give from a place of emptiness--whether it is our stomachs or our energy levels we are talking about here.
- Experience the moment
- BREATHE
- Notice what is working and what needs to be tweaked--without judgment!
This is some recommended reading
for you this summer--it changed
the way I looked at my time with my
family whether I am at home or working
out of the house, whether it's summer or
any season of the year! - Indulge in some slow family living, check out the book Slow Family Living by Bernadette Null from your local library for ideas!
- When something is frustrating, disappointing, overwhelming--name it!
- Do Something Different & Mix it Up!
- Get playful: Camp out or camp in! Pitch a tent in the yard or living room
- Get crafty: Don't worry if you're not crafty, your kids are!
- Get your kids a notebook and some writing supplies for a summer journal:school supplies aren't just for school!
- Get involved: volunteer opportunities are abundant in the summer months
- Get creative: try a neighborhood camp co-op or a staycation
- Get silly: run through a sprinkler or break out the hula hoops. Blow bubbles or crank up the music and have a family dance party...
- Get OUT: check out local no-cost and low cost family activities, parks & rec centers and libraries offer a lot during the summer months
After my first school year ended when S was just about to turn 1 and I was about to stay home with him for the very first time, I was understandably nervous. I did not yet have a drivers' license, I had a husband who commuted and worked for approximately 12 hours a day during the week and I was going to be home ALL DAY LONG with a baby for the first time ever. I had all the confidence in the world when it came to entertaining other peoples' children all day long, but very little confidence in my ability to entertain my own. Luckily, what I lacked then in confidence, I had in creativity and ingenuity. I kept a list taped to the inside of my pantry door with a list of things to do "If All Else Fails." It was on the inside of the pantry door because I knew there might come a time I would need to hide inside there and indulge in some chocolate. What I learned that summer was that I was capable of being home with my son all day; I was even kind of good at it and I even liked it. Choosing the set-up of who works and where in a family is a decision unique to each family's financial and personal situation. What I do believe to be true is that what works best for the adults in the family and creates the most security and contentment is therefore also best for the children in the family. No judgment. No guilt. Whether you are home with your children more in the summer months or trying to balance your workdays with their school-free days, I hope these ideas are as helpful to you as they are to me. Feel free to peruse the archives of this blog as well if you seek play activities and ideas. I will be continuing to post as well--in fact, we are gearing up to wind down our homeschool year here and enter into another summer of Mommy & Me (PLUS ONE) Camp.
And I'm introducing this year, for the first time a "Story Stretchers Play Camp!" We will be playing together and exploring multi-sensory activities based on children's literature. I am busy compiling a list of themes, books, authors and characters that interest S and compiling activities for both boys to enjoy. I'm looking forward to plenty of time outdoors in parks, splash pads and our play-garden. I'm eager for story times at our local libraries. I'm even looking forward to a little bit of boredom... And when the mood strikes, we will have some great play and learning activities at home that take us beyond the book into a world of play, creation and imagination! Hope you'll join us for the ride and until then...
Happy Playing!
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