Summer is here! Normally, everybody would be cheering loudly saying, “Bring it on!” This year, however, plenty of folks feel like summer has been here for the last two months. Now that summer is really here, all of the plans parents thought they had for their kids have likely been thrown out the window.
With few or no summer camp options, social distancing at pools, many attractions not opening until midsummer and limited access to child-care options, parents definitely have a challenge on their hands if they’re trying to make summer plans. If you’re wondering what in the world your family can do in the middle of all that, here are some helpful hints for creating a summer your kids will remember forever!
* Hold a family meeting. Straight out of the gates, hold a family meeting to brainstorm what’s possible within the framework parents have established. Have a little fun with this. No idea is too crazy when you are brainstorming, and who knows, a crazy idea might lead to something that is totally doable.
* Come up with a schedule. As exhausted as most kids and adults are after having to shift to online everything, it might be tempting to just let summer be a free-for-all with no schedule. However, while having no structure may sound like a blessing to you and your kids, ultimately it can be a real curse. Making a schedule helps keep everybody grounded and in the know about what’s coming next.
* Be intentional about creating opportunities for connection. Hanging out in the same house or even the same room isn’t the same as actually doing something to connect with your children. If that sounds like just one more thing to put on your already overwhelming to-do list, one easy option is to use First Things First’s 30-Day Family Challenge (find it at https://firstthings.org/30-day-family-activity-challenge/). Each day has a different fun, quick and easy activity for you and your children to do together.