Remember school? Homework, permission slips, dioramas, making lunches, finding shoes, notes about overdue library books, schedules, bus stops, bedtimes, tests, spelling words, forgotten band instruments, essays? I'm starting to sweat as I remember my life last week. Obviously, I'm happy that it's over for a bit, but I always forget that we were used to that schedule. Our brains and bodies knew how to do it, and now it's gone and we have to remind ourselves how to live in summer. All this free time puts me in a bit of a panic, so I'm reviewing the elements of summer mental health. Of course we want to relax and have some adventures, but the advantages of opposition can never be underestimated.
Here are the parenting truths that must be considered when planning June and July: 1.Relaxation is enjoyed most when preceded by hard work. 2. Confidence comes from doing hard things. 3. Boredom fosters creativity...wait for it. 5. You have valuable lessons to teach your children. 6. Variety is important, so is routine. 7. Use both negative consequences and rewards in your summer program. They're both part of life. (I give the kids a treat if they read a Newberry award book. Video game time can be increased with more reading time. There are no privileges until the list is completed.) 8.Whoever has the plan, has the power.
My best summers start with a fun Memorial Day activity followed by a whip-cracking, list making, set the standard, hard-working Tuesday. There should be lots of complaining from the children because that means your family's normal. Mom and Dad get to decide what jobs need to be done, what school skills maintained and what life lessons will be taught. Children also should have input on ways they would like to help and what goals they have for themselves. Every family gets to choose what they want on their list, but here are ideas from the Stoker house to get your wheels turning.
Life skills:
1. Learn 3 new hairstyles for school from Youtube.
2. Check the oil in the car.
3. Try a new recipe-main dish, salad, dessert, vegetable.
4. Have a theme day with food, costumes and activities: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Carribean, Foreign Country,region...
5. Learn a new trick on the trampoline
6. Practice an instrument every day
7. Keyboarding every day. (Type the constitution, or favorite speech a little at a time.)
8. Sew a pillow case
9. Shop for groceries and compare prices. Have the child self check-out the purchases with parent help.
10. Shop at goodwill
11. Make jam
12. Can fruit
13. Dehydrate fruit
14. Listen to Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman and make a financial plan
15. Improve your running time
16. Do 8 minute abs every day
17. Learn to carve, (can carve with soap) draw, paint,
18. Learn origami
19. Learn the Rubiks cube
20. Paint a room or a door
21. Design landscaping for a small area. Plant and maintain.
22. Learn to waltz or swing dance (Youtube)
23. Have an etiquette dinner.
24. Try on clothes. Identify the assets and ditch the liabilities (too small, too worn, never cute, etc.)
25. Shine shoes.
26. Practice telephone skills.
27. Prepare resume and interview for a job (Can be with Mom or Dad)
28. Do push-ups and pull-ups.
29. Learn to write a check and why it's like money.
30. Learn about insurance.
31. Keep a food diary for a week. Add up calories. Identify food groups and nutritional value.
Strengthen family:
1. Heart attack family members door with compliments and notes of encouragement.
2. Write letters to grandparents, etc.
3. Surprise family member with service.
4. Share highs and lows at the dinner and lunch table
5. Big brother/Big Sister jobs-have older siblings teach younger. They can help with the academic items on their younger sibling's list They can teach a sibling how to ride a bike, make cookies, work a Rubiks cube, or whatever skill they have to share.
6. Type personal history.
7. Interview grandparents and type up the information and share with family.
8. Make up a family history game with fun facts about ancestors.
9. Make a spotlight poster about sibling. Share at dinner and display.
Outside jobs for younger children:
1. Water plants in pots
2. Sweep porch
3. Wash car mirrors
4. Gather trash from car and bring in toys, water bottles, etc.
5. Pull weeds in designated area
6. Wash mailbox
7. Pick up pokey balls from under the tree (or whatever else has dropped)
8. Wash bikes, trikes
9. Wash outside doors
10. Pick up litter
Inside jobs for younger children:
1. Shake rugs
2. Fold wash cloths
3. Dust piano bench and end tables
4. Wash outside of refrigerator, stove, dishwasher
5. Gather rugs to be washed, shake kitchen rugs
6. Sharpen pencils
7. Sort legos into colors
8. Gather pencils, pens, crayons that have found their way into random places.
9. Put away knives and forks
10. Shut all closet doors and cupboards in the house
11. Turn off lights in empty rooms
12. Pick up dead bugs with a spoon and put in paper cup to throw away. (Unless they have a tendency to eat unknown items.)
13. Set table for lunch
Spiritual well-being for younger children:
1. Say Prayers
2. Repeat a short scripture or uplifting quote until it is memorized
3. Draw a picture for a missionary
4. Listen to a Bible story and act it out for family night
Academic younger
1. Write alphabet
2. Draw pictures that start with letter of the day
3. Write 5 words that rhyme with at, it, etc.
4. Make a yellow picture out of yellow items, next day red, etc.
5. Count the stairs/lights/chairs/ etc. in the house.
6. Make a "solve a problem" page by gluing beans under the number of a problem or just a number depending on age.
7. Play "What shape am I thinking of?" Child draws the shape that he thinks the leader is thinking of.
Outside jobs older:
1. Mow lawn
2. Trim bushes
3. Wash car/vacuum car
4. Spread mulch
5. Weed garden
6. Wash patio furniture etc. with bleach/water solution
7. Pump up flat balls
8. Sweep cobwebs in garage
9. Spray siding/windows
10. Organize garage one section at a time-camping stuff, sports equipment, lawn and garden etc.
11. Fill up water balloons for afternoon fun.
12. Check air in bike tires
13. Sweep and spray off walkway.
14. Wash out garbage bins after garbage day.
Inside jobs for older children:
1. Sweep/mop floor
2. Vacuum house including stairs
3. Wash railing on stairs and walls going down the stairs.
4. Clean out refrigerator
5. Organize freezer (Wear winter gloves)
6. Check expiration date on canned food items
7. Organize food pantry
8. Organize books: fiction-alphabetically by author non-fiction by topic
9. Gather Newberry award winning books and put in chronological order
10. Delete duplicate pictures on computer and organize into folders
11. Research the best clothes folding techniques on Youtube. Train the family and everyone fold clothes in the new and improved way.
12. Clean and vacuum under beds
13. Sort old toys and donate to a shelter or have a neighborhood toy sale.
14. Organize kitchen cupboards
15. Organize board games (find pieces) and get rid of incomplete games.
16. Wash trim throughout the house.
17. Clean the blinds.
18. Scrub bathtub/shower and toilet.
19. Organize digital pictures and files
Academic jobs for older children:
1. Mad minute in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.
2. Read-minimum amount per day. Everyone has to have a book.
3. Write in cursive every day. Read notes from mom in cursive.
4. Memorize doctrinal mastery scriptures or poem or preamble.
5. Take practice ACT tests.
6. Make power points.
7. Take personality tests or career interest tests. (They are free online.)
Spiritual well-being for older children:
1. Pray
2. Read scriptures every day. (Old testament is the course of study in seminary this year.)
3. Write in journal. Share feelings and belief in God
4. Listen to uplifting music and talks
5. Plan a lesson for the family night. Topics may include honesty, obedience, forgiveness, love, generosity,..
6. Fill out booklet on Family Search.
7. Make bios on ancestors.
8. Index
Service:
1. Make and share treats with neighbors.
2. Volunteer at community food shelters
3. Help provide lunch for people at a Ronald McDonald House
4. Babysit for moms going to the doctor
5. Help at the schools
6.Take advantage of opportunities in your church and other reputable organizations
7. Pick up litter at favorite park.
Fun: Once your children have finished working on their lists, and it's time to play, they'll be much better at it, and if they aren't they can do a little more work. I usually have a day off on Thursday for outings, yard sales, swimming, whatever. And of course sometimes we ditch the routine and take a road trip, but we are all happier doing nothing after we've done something.
1 comment:
This Is awesome! Thanks for sharing wisdom!
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