Summer Checklist

Sometimes it’s a bucket list. Sometimes it’s a chore list. This summer, for us, it’s a checklist.

We woke up to the first day of summer break last week and after all the goodness that the end of the school year brought, it was a welcomed break.  However, moments into that glorious reprieve, almost immediately upon waking and realizing what opportunity lay before them, my kids asked for a show.  

As much as I like a good soft morning wake up and cuddle, while they can relax and I can continue to write, the thought of spending each morning doing that first just didn’t sit quite right with me.  Trust me, I love be cozy in the morning, too .   But I couldn’t quite stomach the thought of that being our daily, morning go-to. It makes it harder yo get started sometimes and I wanted less hoops to jump over , especially if they might end up making things harder in the long run (as screens tend to do.)

So before I even had time to think about it, a few simple ideas and a phrase  flew out of my mouth, and thus became our mantra for summer.  

Before screens, first take some time to make something, time to play something, read something, and pray something.  

Now I’m not going to lie. I’m not this smart, so I think it was a God idea. And I have to admit, it was a very good one. Quickly we are seeing the benefits.

How do we make it work? Well first of all, I’m not going to, at any point, “time” any of this. It’s not supposed to be rigid or strict. This is about creating space, not creating stress.

As far as the reading goes, they will be tracking minutes for a library fun challenge. They can use this morning time to add to those minutes, but there’s no part of this morning routine that requires you to hit a certain mark. It’s more about cracking open a book as a habit and a default rather than a screen. They can read a chapter, or a paragraph, together or alone, out loud or in their own head. The point isn’t about the quantity, the point is to start with some quality.

As for praying, I don’t care how much they pray, or where. I don’t need to hear their prayers (though sometimes I’ll ask out of curiosity, as a touchpoint, a part of a conversation.) But it’s not about me judging them or them even judging themselves. It’s just about starting the habit of taking time to personally talk to God. Besides, what on earth is better than that?? (Answer in our house: nothing!)

The idea of “play something” and “make something” are closely related, though not exactly the same. Playing could be playing a board game together, playing with Legos or dolls by themself, playing the piano, or playing a game of make-believe. As a side note, my kids have developed an intricate, ongoing series of make-believe and I love to listen in and hear how and what they come up with. They refer to it as “the game we play every morning”, though “many mornings” is most accurate. It makes my momma heart swell with joy.

“Make something” could be building a ship or a town out of blocks or Legos (see the overlap), coloring a picture, baking, writing a letter, casting a play. Really anything that’s creative. Honestly, sometimes I’ll give them a pass on either “make” or “play”, depending on the day, how motivated or creative they are. They are both open to interpretation, and while doing both is highly encouraged before moving on with their day, doing at least one is not optional. Doing the other two- pray and read- are definitely not optional either.

The thing is, they love if now as much as we do!

It has been such a life-giving experience, for both kids and grown ups alike. As you can imagine, they’ve started playing together more. It’s made it easier to get over the morning slumps and to get moving in a positive, thoughtful, and creative way in our day, because we already stated it in that way.

This really could work for kids of all ages, even including teenagers. You could add physical exercise or fresh air if you wanted, too. Though for us it’s a given, so we didn’t need to add it to the list. This summer checklist is supposed to act like a springboard for us eventually going outside.

This is not something that I choose to “police” as much as guard and encourage, and that works for everyone. Perfection is not the goal. A healthy, life-giving habit for body soul and spirit is the aim.

Once you create this rhythm in your home too, you’ll see how wonderful, healthy, and worth it is. When a habit is created, it’s so much easier to enjoy the benefits of it too.

Happy summer, friends!

Use it well, because it alllll matters, so much! ☀️🙌🏻