What plans do you have for your children this summer?  Will they play a sport, learn a new hobby, get together with friends, will you have a reading list for them, will they be part of your local library’s Summer Reading Program, will they visit grandparents over night, will you have them reinforcing math and reading skills over the summer so that they are prepared for the next grade?  It all sounds good, right?  The only problem is, that if you don’t make plans or plan it out, you may not accomplish what you hope to.  Making a list of your “Things To Do This Summer” is a start.  Chances are, you may not get to everything on the list.  However, if you don’t start with brainstorming and a list, your less likely to reach your goals, when planning your summer and in life.  This could be a fun family activity.  You could write it in a journal (see the yellow one I have pictured titled, “Brilliant Ideas”) or you could write it out on large paper and post in in a prominent place in your home, like on the refrigerator.  Teach your kids how to brainstorm to make a list and modify the list after brainstorming for a list that is realistic.  Also explain to them, that sometimes we don’t accomplish everything we have on OUR daily lists and that means that a task needs to be put on tomorrow list or in this case, next summer’s list.  Summer is a nice time to take a break from the regular routine for long days to expand the mind in different disciplines.  The Summer List can be followed by a daily list that may include household chores to help out mom and dad, some exercise, some reading and practicing math facts some time to be creative and free time to imagine and explore.  I like a journal and the idea of a list.  Remember the Chinese saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In the seventh grade, I wrote on a summer list that I would write a book…43 years later it happened.  There are only so many summers, so utilize the time and make the most of every day so that at the end of as many as possible, you can say…It was a GREAT DAY 🍏
