Summer schedules

There are so many reasons I love summer. One of the biggest is the laid back schedule. It's so nice to get up in the morning and linger a bit over my quiet time and coffee, to be able to tackle projects we've been putting off and just simply relax together. Having said that, we also recognize the need to continue to use our time wisely as the LORD leads. Too much free time = bored and unmotivated kids (and mommy!). Our body and mind were designed to be active. I think our grandmothers use to say, "Idle hands are the devils playground"...or something along those lines.

So how do we keep the kids focused and still have a relaxing summer? One of our favorite end of school traditions is the family meeting. We take an entire morning and discuss our plans for the summer. We pray over what our priorities should be and then help each other set some goals. This year the boys each made 3-4 spiritual goals, as well as a few other things they wanted to accomplish over the next couple of months. I've typed them up and given each one a check list to help them keep track of their progress. We discussed the need to be able to quantify their results. Rather than setting an arbitrary goal of memorizing scripture, they each chose a certain number they felt they could memorize per week. Rather than saying, "I want to read more this summer", they each set a specific goal...some with a certain number of books, some with specific titles. At the end of the summer they will be able to look back and see what they've accomplished.

It's amazing to me how much more excited they are, even about their free time, when given a bit of structure and a goal to work towards. I think this will give us the down time we all need, but help us to use that time for HIS glory.

Aaahhh...did I mention I love summer?