Plan a Summer Focus for your Kids!

Welcome to my first ever post! The idea I had was to share one thing each post that you can implement today to make your life easier or more productive. I love listening to podcasts and reading blogs on parenting, education, home organization...but the thing I love most is when they share something I can do RIGHT NOW. Hopefully you will enjoy a blog that shares just that!

Plan a summer focus for your kids !

Every summer and every fall I take some time to think about my kids and what I want them to learn, experience, or achieve over the summer or over the school year. In the past it has been things like starting to learn a second language, learning to code, relaxing and recovering from the school year, connecting with extended family, or practicing a specific skill like laundry, cooking, or swimming. Obviously not all of these examples are from the same summer or for the same child, but they have all been a summer or school year focus I have had in the past.

As school wraps up for us here in Alberta, with just a few weeks to go, I have been mulling over my priorities for my kids and have decided that the focus for all three with be getting active. My three kids are very different, and my reasons for picking this goal for them are different. One needs to get more comfortable with daily fitness. One needs to have unstructured outside time to learn and explore on her own terms. One loves excercise and activity but will benefit from learning to travel by bike or on foot independently through our neighbourhood and beyond.

So my task for you is:

Step one - Pick one thing for your children that's a summer focus.

That's it. That's all you need to do today. Think about your kids. Think about what they may not have gotten enough of during the school year that you can focus on during the summer months. Imagine what you'd like to see them able to do in the fall when school starts up again. Do this today!

Now, if you are interested in what to do tomorrow....and the day after...read on. But for today, just pick a summer focus and call it a day!

Step two - Brainstorm ways you might support that focus.

In my case, I have researched what is available through the summer in terms of swimming, skating, camps, classes, and talked it over with my kids to find out what they are interested in. Think of more than you could possibly do and then start whittling it down to what is most practical.

Step three - Lay the ground work

I have had my children help me brainstorm for a mini poster of "Things we can do outside" and posted it where their schedule of after school activities usually resides. I have made sure everyone has bikes that fit and are in working condition, helmets, and I've invested in some outdoor toys that I know they will enjoy (sidewalk chalk, pogo ball, bubble stuff and loose parts, and bug catching kits). Finally, I have made sure everyone knows that the expectation in the summer with be active play first, inside play later, and no screen time before 3pm.