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Guest post from Beth of BethDemme.com As this school year winds down, I found myself more eager for summer than ever. I celebrated the end of this school year with unprecedented glee. I love summer because it means more family time, more traveling, and no homework. To avoid wasting the golden opportunity that is summer, we start the summer with specific goals. Here are my top three tips for setting great summer goals: 1. Ask Your Children What Interests Them Children spend the school year learning what teachers tell them they have to learn. Summer is an opportunity for them to choose their subjects. For example, last summer my son wanted to learn magic. At the beginning of the summer, he used some his own savings to buy a few magic tricks. He worked on those illusions any time summer boredom threatened. At the end of the summer, his dad and I got a free show! 2. Try to Serve Others Service is important throughout the year, but the free-time offered over the summer makes it even easier to schedule family service projects. Here are some great summer service projects you can do with your children: - Volunteer with an organization that makes summer lunches for children who receive free lunch during the school year. Talk to your children about what life is like for these children who often go hungry during the summer.
- Ask a nearby school or church if they have a closet or classroom that needs cleaning. When you're done, decorate the bulletin board or let your children draw an amazing mural on the dry erase board.
- Find an older neighbor who would like help with their yard work. When you're finished, go home and run through the hose or jump in the pool with all your dirty yard work clothes on.
3. Don't Forget Yourself Remember to set a learning goal for yourself, too. You'll probably be in your minivan less and, hopefully, sitting by the pool more. You can use that time to explore your own interests. I have a few topics I'm interested in so I've made a "Learning Plan List." For me they're all Bible related, but your list could be anything - a time period you want to learn about, a new genre of books you're interested in, or even a set of recipes you want to try. Here's a great tip - don't forget about audiobooks! There are amazing books and lectures available in audio formats (check Audible and iTunes). You can put in your earbuds and absorb an incredible amount of information this summer. By the end of this Summer, your whole family will feel energized and ready for the Fall. Beth Demme is a mom, public speaker, and sometimes lawyer. She's all about Learning to Live Loved. You can read more at BethDemme.com.
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