Five Fun Ways to Create Super Summer Memories

June 7, 2025June 7, 2025Leave a comment

It can be the best of times; it can be the worst of times. We know it as summertime. Yes, our schedules are typically less chaotic, but the non-school months force us into heavy-duty togetherness. As a parent or grandparent, how can we make the best of this time of the year? Here are a few ideas to bring a smile to your kids’ faces as well as your own.

Start the summer off with great expectations. Celebrate the start of summer with their favorite breakfast and a joyful welcome. Kids will catch your enthusiasm as you tell them what you are looking forward to during the coming months. Allow them to share what they hope to do while school is out of session as well. Delightfully discuss some house rules as far as screen time and snacks. It’s always a good idea to remind kids of the 3 D’s of discipline: Dishonesty, Disobedience, and Disrespect, letting them know you have great expectations for their behavior.
No more B-word. Oh, the dreaded words, “I’m Bored!” As if the parents are in charge of the child’s entertainment 24/7! Here’s an idea – take a large mason jar and label it “Boredom Busters.” Provide each of your kids with small strips of paper and ask them to stop and think about what they could do if they ever felt the B-word coming to mind. Give them some ideas: you could read a book, do an art project, write a story or a poem, play in the sprinklers, shoot hoops, roller skate, visit a neighbor, cook, play with old Christmas gifts, do a puzzle, etc…Allow the kids to write their own ideas, fold each one up and put it in the jar. Then, if they ever think they are feeling B….. (well, you know), then tell them to go to the jar and pick an idea.
Maintain a daily routine. We all do a little better with structure in our lives. During the summer, create a relaxed routine that combines flexibility with a light schedule. I recommend doing activities, errands, and outings in the morning hours when everyone is fresh and energetic. Make a plan to visit places in your area, such as parks, museums, hiking trails, and kid-friendly spaces. Plan a set time for lunch each day, and then have a little FOB time (Flat on Bunk) for the kids. We all need a little rest from our day and from one another. FOB allows us to rest and regroup for 30-45 minutes. Afternoon is a great time for crafts, screentime, or free-play. A bedtime routine is also important to your kids. Consider bath, brush teeth, devotional, and prayer before lights out.
Choose different themes for each week. Each week, pick a topic, theme, or focus that provides direction to the things you do each day. Consider age-appropriate themes that fit your kids’ interests. What about Animal week, or Science week, or Plants and Flowers week, or Bug week, or Bird week, or Space week? You get the idea. Infuse the week with A (activities), B (books), C (crafts), and D (devotionals). Let’s say you are doing Animal Week. For activities, you can go to a zoo, a farm, a wildlife preserve, a pet store, and/or a natural history museum. Go to the library and pick out books specifically about different animals. For crafts, you can make animal ears, create playdough animals, form animals out of foil, or simply do color pages with different animals. Devotionals can include Adam naming the animals, Noah and the ark, Job’s mention of dinos and other animals, or Daniel in the lion’s den.
Keep it simple! Don’t exhaust yourself with a million ideas, just choose a few good ones that work for your family. Let’s not lose sight of the simple fun and memories that can be created by having time together. Running through sprinklers, making forts, playing school, throwing a frisbee, lying outside to observe the clouds or the stars, taking a walk, getting together with friends at a park doing a puzzle, or having movie night together – all provide easy, no-cost, joy-filled fun. Remember, we set the tone for the home. If we choose to find joy in the simple things, our attitude often permeates the home.

Finally, don’t forget the power of conversation. Dinnertime discussions can be an added value and blessing during this slower-paced time of the year. The benefits of our kids experiencing family togetherness are monumental in helping them feel seen and heard. Let’s make the most of this summer season and use this space to build memories and create connectedness as a family. Let’s stay positive and grateful for this time together. Happy possibilities abound!

Three Ways to De-stress Rather Than Distress

July 11, 2019Leave a comment

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It’s summer and life is carefree and blissful – right? Well, unless you live in a cave or under a rock, I’m guessing that you have a fair amount of stress in your life. We all feel stretched at times, but the key is not to move to a desert island to get away from it all, rather our goal should be to deal with these challenges in a healthy way. Here are three tips to help you de-stress rather than distress.

Create a Positive Plan. What are the biggest sources of stress in your life right now? Is it your overloaded schedule or never ending email inbox or perhaps its taking care of the kids non-stop during the summer. It is important to identify where your tension is coming from in order to begin to deal with it in a manageable way. Perhaps you need to rethink your schedule or daily routine and set some boundaries at work or with people in your life. Maybe you can create a time each day where kids are having quiet play to give you some rest. Could it be that you need to change the way you deal with emails and social media, only checking them several times a day instead of being constantly distracted by them. Make a deliberate plan of action to help you feel less stretched and more in control.
Be Intentional About Relaxing. Consider activities that genuinely rejuvenate you, not only physically, but also emotionally. Each of us have our own ways that we tend to unwind. Maybe it is reading a book or taking a walk or watching a movie or playing with your dog at the park. Interestingly, studies show that spending time in nature actually has a positive effect on our attitudes, so consider getting outdoors each morning before it gets too hot. Make a list of the top five things that you find relaxing and schedule a time each week (or each day if you can) to do at least one activity on your list.
Allow Stress to Work for you. Can stress be a good thing in your life? Possibly. As we walk through stressful situations, our confidence grows, and we become wiser as we learn from each experience. Just as stress on our muscles makes them stronger, so stress in our lives can make us stronger. Difficulties and challenges allow us to learn new skills, grow in empathy towards others and become better as a result. So as you face obstacles or stressful situations, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this situation and how can I grow?” Look for ways to help others in similar situations which also helps you take your focus off of your own challenges.

Most important, stress leads us to seek God’s help and direction. The apostle Paul did not experience a stress-free life by any means, yet he was able to remind all believers to “not be anxious about anything.” Instead, he wrote that we should, “Pray about everything with thanksgiving.” The result is not a stress-free life, but rather a peaceful heart and mind, which surpasses all understanding.

Check out my book, A Positive Plan for More Calm and Less Stress, for more ideas on overcoming your challenges.

True Positive: Day 12 – Work

July 18, 2017July 18, 2017Leave a comment

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Our work can bring us joy, enrich our lives and even increase our positivity. Projects, chores or responsibilities give us a sense of accomplishment and commitment to a greater cause. Work often gives us the opportunity to serve others and to get our minds off of our own self-centered problems. We learn and grow as a person through hard work and perseverance. Certainly, we must be careful to keep a balance in life and not take on too many responsibilities which may increase stress. Additionally, we must avoid complaining and grumbling – which we will talk about in tomorrow’s post.

Let’s teach out kids that work is not something to be avoided, but rather something to be embraced. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ (Colossians 3:23,24).” Find joy in your work by thinking of your work as an opportunity to serve Christ. When you have down days (which we all do), ask God to give you a fresh viewpoint or a new perspective to help you see a greater purpose in your work.

Some of the happiest people I know are also some of the hardest working people I know. Don’t avoid work, embrace it and discover a new strength and confidence as a result.