Happy Summer!
As a part-time teacher and a part-time homeschooling mama, that sentence carries excitement and possibly a bit of chaos for my next couple of months.
To help combat the feeling of gearing up for excessively bored-turned-crazy kids while still not planning too much (I do want rest, after all), I sat down and came up with a plan to be intentional. It's a flexible plan, who cares if we don't get it done? It still provides structure for myself and my little ones who are now 6 and almost 4. It also leaves room for other things that may come up. Here's how it will go:
Maker Mondays: I'll put out some of my art supplies I don't use much anymore but that my kids are fascinated by and we will sit on our living room floor creating together. No rules, no set length of time. What is set is that we will make something for us and something to give away. I want to promote the spirit of giving.
Teach Me Tuesdays: I will teach them something or they will teach me something or someone else will teach them something (maybe Japanese?) or we'll go to the library and pick a new subject or we'll make a cake we've never made before. The possibilities are endless. I want to promote a love of learning.
Wacky Wednesdays: This is all about pretend play. "The couch is now a pirate ship, GO!" One day is already planned to be a pretend camping day, but with real s'mores of course. I want to promote the essence of creativity.
Take Me Out Thursdays: We will go to a free museum or a new park. It pushes me to get out of the house and try new things. They've already asked to go a military museum that they pass sometimes that has helicopters and planes. How easy to say, "Ok, let's plan that for Thursday" instead of "Someday." I want to promote the adventure of exploration.
Friend Fridays: We will hang out with friends. If no one is available, we will at least make plans with friends for the coming week. I want to promote the strength of relationships.
Of course, some activities may be done on the "wrong" days, we may invite friends to any of the days, or the "day" might not get done at all. It's ok if it ends up being different than what I planned. We started off the summer with a beach vacation. I always think the beach is an inspiring place. This time it reminded me that things are always changing. The sandy shore is always long and sandy, but upon closer inspection, it looks completely different from one day to the next. Even one hour to the next can bring big and small changes. More seashells, fewer hills of sand, longer shadows, a washed up beautiful but painful jellyfish, an adult enjoying the simple things, washed away footprints, large pieces of driftwood- dead, yet still beautiful in its own textured way, young kids completely delighting in the movements of a bunch of hermit crabs found by a stranger, a family remembering a loved one through scattering ashes on the coastline. Life is much the same way. You may think your shore will stay the same, but nope, that's not what God has planned for you. The changes may build you up or tear you down. But guess what....It will be better than you ever could have dreamed of. Don't miss it. Don't miss Him.
Whether you have a summer like mine or not, I hope you can enjoy moments of rest and joy during these hot next few months. May God be the intentional center of your plans (or spontaneity).