Oh my goodness! Today is the last day of school for us in the Wayzata School district. We (my family) have been so busy the past few weeks with Mother’s Day, end of the year awards and tournaments, recitals, graduation parties, etc.
Our summer routine is much different than the school year. I gladly say good-bye to my nightly routine of making sure homework is completed and lunches packed. We are not as strict on bedtime, and for the most part, the kids get to sleep in. Maybe even stay in their pajamas until lunchtime. Oh, but was it breakfast or lunch they ate at 11:30 am? I long for the unstructured days of summer, but I also miss the structure that helps us keep our rituals. If the kids are up late, we often say good-bye to our bedtime rituals. My son won’t have his private breakfast date with my husband for another 3 months. We will however, do more things together as a whole family. Weather permitting, most evenings we will dine al fresco. Somehow dining on our deck prompts more conversations and it entices us to play a backyard game or go for a bike ride after our meal.
I always ask my children to write a “50 things to do this summer” list. I ask they write it before the last day of school, and the items on the list must be things they can do on their own, without a friend, or without me driving them somewhere. (We also have another list of general fun things to do). This list helps them find pleasures with the simple things in life, and is a great tool if they come to you saying “I’m bored”.
So, this summer, take back some family time, create some new rituals, and enjoy the simple things of each day.
Be sure to see the Stone Soup cartoon from last week, starting with June 1.
