Tuesday morning didn't look that much different than Tuesday afternoon.
I was sort of joking with a friend the other day that our motto this summer was "Do Less". But then I realized that it was actually pretty accurate. I feel strongly that summers are meant to produce boredom, and that boredom is good for children. Summers are meant for staying in pajamas and bathing suits all day, for covering the family room floor in legos, and for not making beds.
We've fallen into a pretty great routine. We spend our days reading, playing, playing the piano for fun (we take a break from lessons during the summer), napping, and watching tv (my kids are super into Studio C right now). And then once Elliot is awake from his nap, we head to the pool til dinner.
I realize I am lucky that my kids get along well. They can spend hours together in the basement coming up with some sort of elaborate scheme. These are days when the less parental involvement, the better, I think. Which means that I get to dive into the stack of books I picked up from the library. The Light Between Oceans was fantastic - painful, but so beautiful. Now I'm making my way through In Sunlight and in Shadow.
What do summers look like at your house?
What do summers look like at your house?
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Perfect,Stephanie...your summer days are much like ours...and I am so happy to see that. I am comforted to see that so many of you...ahem...younger mothers are embracing the quiet,unscheduled,stay-home-and-play summer days.
ReplyDeleteTides do turn, and I am hopeful that more mothers will realize that our children are just that...children. They need these days to just be. To play with siblings. To swim with Mommy. To run through sprinklers and eat homemade ice cream cones on the porch. To snuggle and watch Disney movies in the afternoon.
When my oldest was young, I was in the minority in that aspect. While I was home with my littles, my neighbors were running their little ones to soccer camps and playdates and tennis lessons and every activity under the sun. There was a pervasive attitude that busy was better, and the more activities you could boast about, the better parent you were.
Many days a little neighbor boy would be playing outside with Madison, only to be called home because it was time for him to run off to yet another scheduled activity. It made me sad.
But now, I see things changing. I see many of you younger mothers embracing home and family and routine and quiet...exactly what our children crave and are comforted by.
Ok, enough...sorry for this very long comment. I just feel very strongly about this. And there I go again...
Enjoy these long, quiet summer days with your beautiful family! : )
LOVE this comment and LOVE this post! I totally agree. It's ok to have unscheduled time. And it's a good thing to experience boredom. If there's never any space to be quiet and just wonder and play, how will they ever be inspired to create and dream?
DeleteSteph I so agree with Billie Jo. Some mother's program their children so much that there is not enough time to just play and be children. That is part of growing too. Have fun with them all this summer. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteLove you
that is my summer motto too, in fact I just wrote about it on my blog too! I think boredom is a gift and people think I'm a little dorky, but I really do! It's only when my children have been home for a good while and gotten really sort of bored that they start using their imaginations and it is awesome! i'm SO happy when I see other moms with this same philosophy. go us :)
ReplyDeletewe are kind of the opposite here, seeing how we rarely see the sun around here. ok we do but not enough or hot enough for me. my kids love to be outside, ride bikes, play with friends, camp, swim and do things we can't in winter. i guess winter is our lazy time and to be in the house. i love that your family seems chill.love it
ReplyDeleteugh, I wish my kids could handle boredom. Sadly, when they get bored they fight, which drives me bonkers.
ReplyDeleteWe've reached a happy medium with a loose schedule. Each day they have to complete a household chore and then we do one activity a day (monday is public pool day, tuesday swim at home, wednesday library day, thursday splash pad park, friday movie day). I wish we could all lay around in our pajamas all day, it would make me one happy mom, because I feel the same about summer as you. BUT, I've had to adjust my vision to meet the needs of my little monsters.