HOW I PLAN TO HAVE OUR BEST SUMMER YET!

My youngest daughter is 14 years old, and I fully plan to grab onto our time together and make this our best summer yet!  Time slips away too quickly and I find if I am not intentional about making memories and having fun, I can waste away the days with constant work and getting things done.

And that is not the way I want to live my life.

And I imagine that you don’t either.

Here are some tips on having your best summer yet:

• Invite your child’s friends over for the day.  Yes, it’s messy. Yes, they eat a lot of food.  And, yes, they are loud!  But you are creating memories and getting to know the kids your child hangs out with.  So this one is a double bonus!

• Pay attention to events on Facebook.  Often a fun opportunity pops up in my feed because a friend of mine clicks the “interested” button for an upcoming event.  I am open to driving an hour or two for a unique experience.  Be sure to mark the best ones on your calendar.

• Look for free events.  If I am going to spend more time doing activities with my daughter, I  need some of it to be very affordable.

• Talk to friends and find out what they are interested in doing over the summer.  We know a family who loves to hang out at the public pool, and another family who loves hiking.  I keep them in mind when we want to do those activities.

• Know what is happening in your area.  Most cities have a website with a calendar, and you can find what’s happening locally.  Too often I miss out on what is right under my nose if I don’t check.

• Just slow down.  Stop, look and listen frequently.  Quite often I find that the best memories are made in unexpected moments.  It’s OK to take a break from work for a while because your child wants to play a game or spend time with you.  Work will wait.

• Say “yes” more often.  I can often get into a “no” mode for a number of reasons: no money, no time, no desire.  But my kids are old enough for me to know that we get one trip through this parenting adventure, and if I don’t grab onto it now it will disappear all too suddenly.

So, that is my plan.

I will be sharing our summer adventures here on the blog, and I would love to know what you are doing too.  The more ideas we can share, the better!

How do you plan to have your best summer yet?