As summer begins, we as parents have choices to make for our kids free time. I have decided to take the no planning approach this summer. During the school year even with only one in preschool, we have something scheduled every day. Four days out the week our youngest has speech and other therapy and then our “free” day we have gymnastics. We have to be somewhere or someone is coming to our house around 9am every day. I know some of you work and are out much earlier but since we made the choice for me to be home with the kids I never thought that we would have a schedule like we do. So this summer, I am going to take my kids childhood back to when I was a kid and let them play all day. We still have the therapy but I was able to condense the days and I am not going to fret if I need or want to cancel.
I remember when I was my daughter’s age, I ran around the neighborhood with my friends. We played for hours using our imagination and expending every possible bit if energy we had. No computers, no video games, and even TV was not something we desired to do. I just had to be home by the time the street lights came on and the rest was up to me. Unfortunately times have changed and I am not able to let my preschoolers run around without supervision but we live at the pool, the farm, and play with friends. We are still active daily but there is much less shuffling around during the day.
The first week into our summer of taking it slow, our whole day starts out relaxed. We get up, watch some cartoons, eat, the kids play and around 10:30 we start to get dressed and ready for the day out of the house. Unless it is pool day. Ah yes… pool day. This has become 4 days out of our week. We procrastinate until 2ish and then head to the pool until everyone is about to drop. Whisk them home for quick shower, easy dinner and to bed. I can tell you summer for mommy has been amazing. I have 3 to sometimes 5 hours to myself in the evening! Thank you pool.
I know that I am not alone out there when I desire my kids to just be kids. They have so many years ahead where they will have friends that do every sport and camp and my kids might think that is what they are supposed to do. I think I will always encourage the summer of relaxation but as my kids get older they will also have opinions on how they want to spend there free time. So I am taking my summer back and letting them run barefoot at the playground and splash at the pool in hopes of instilling an appreciation of just living in the now.
Happy Summer to you all!
Written by Jamie Jackson
The Chicken's Egg 