Don’t Waste Your Summer!
As I sit here on May 1, 2026, I'm reflecting on how the school year has flown by--it feels like they pick up speed as I (and your children) age! I'd like to encourage you as we enter the summer season that life in a family, life with kids is NOT about filling every hour--it's about shaping habits, character, and joy in ways that last. YOU are discipling your children into the kingdom--they learn what a Christian believes, how a Christian acts and speaks, what a Christian spends her time and money on...all from you.
To that end, I want this to be a practical blog, so here are a few suggestions for ways to beat the summer blues and steward the time off well (maybe one or two will work for your family):
1. Build simple rhythms of FAITH
*Keep it light but consistent
*Read a short Bible story at dinner each night (or breakfast if people are breaking down by dinner!)
*Practice simple prayers (morning, meals, bedtime--your kids can lead in this as well!)
*Ask the catechism questions (coming in a follow up email)
*Use the school playlist to sing together (coming in a follow up email)--your kids could even lead a morning meeting
*Let them teach you The Love Chapter or Psalm 139
The focus here is your and their relationship with God...not perfection.
2. Keep learning alive even though not in "school mode" (learning should feel like discovery, not homework)
*Read together daily (library visits=adventure!)
*Let them choose something they'd like to learn more about. (ie: preschool maybe dinosaurs...elem. maybe paleontology or the solar system, space exploration, etc.)
*Encourage creativity and imagination (children grow through unstructured play like arts and crafts/music/building/pretend play/skits)
3. Spend time outdoors (God's creation matters....also, we live in the south, we will be hot and sweaty most days...the sooner your kids accept this truth, the better)
*Family walks, picnics, gardening, hiking
*Talk about God as creator (observe and appreciate the world intentionally)
4. Prioritize family connection
*Weekly family nights (maybe it's Dippin' Dots or Gail's Ice Cream BEFORE dinner every Friday night; yes, I sometimes advocate things like that because THAT'S what they'll remember)
*Family night ideas: games, movies, scavenger hunt, flashlight tag or hide and seek, craft night, dance party, family talent show
*Keep the conversations going: start with their world, not yours; kids generally think in stories, feelings, and concrete experiences --play is your secret weapon: kids often open up more while drawing, building, playing with Legos--"If your day was a color, what color would it be?" "If your feelings were weather, what would they be today?" And share back!
5. Stay connected to your church community (don't "pause" spiritual life)
*Attend church regularly
*Join VBS or kids' camps
*Choose one family you've been wanting to get to know and invite them over intentionally
6. Miscellaneous
*Keep a flexible routine
*Read a novel out loud with your whole family (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Little House in the Big Woods, Boxcar Children, etc.) Click here for a great suggested reading list.
*Protect downtime and sleep
*Let kids get bored (it's actually a skill they need to learn!). {"I'm bored"=here's a job....don't fix boredom, you are not a cruise director or the VP of activities; redirect to a chore. Depending on the age: clean out the litter box; dust baseboards in common rooms; clean out two drawers in your room; find 5 items to give away.}
*All kids should have chores (2s can unload the silverware from the dishwasher--after you remove the knives--and a simple internet search will give you ideas--the bottom line: kids need to be part of moving the family forward; mom (and dad) cannot and should not do it all)
A fruitful summer isn't about doing more: it's about forming hearts. If children grow in love, curiosity, kindness, and faith, the summer was well spent!
