Setting some Fun Summer Goals

Setting Some Fun Summer Goals- For The Kids And For Myself!
This post written by a guest blogger, Sharon Rowley.

This summer you will find me hanging out with the kids- without the support of summer camp- as we have done for the last three years.  Many of my Mom-friends think that I am crazy… but the way that I look at it- is that I am fortunate to be a stay-at-home Mom and one of the benefits to this role is to be able to enjoy the (not so) lazy days of summer with my children.

Of course, it takes a great deal of planning to pull off our summer-camp-at-home.  The last two weeks I have spent hours compiling ideas for fun summer crafts and great recipes to cook with the kids.  I have planned a few dozen fun “field trips” to explore historical spots, beautiful state parks, caves, waterfalls, farms, and even an old castle. In the next week or so I will be giving my house one last thorough cleaning, and wrapping up any household projects – because during the summer we keep housekeeping to a minimum amount of effort and put aside our daily battle with clutter- it’s time to enjoy this summer with my family!

Something that we put a fair amount of thought into when planning our summer are our fun summer goals.  For our younger children, their goal might be to learn to tie their shoes or ride a two-wheeler bike without training wheels.  Our slightly older children may want to learn how to send email or talk to Grandma on Skype.  I have a goal this summer to teach all of my children the basics of cooking- how to measure ingredients carefully and how to read and double (or even triple) recipes.  But the goals aren’t limited to just the kids in our family.

My goals aren’t necessarily about learning a new skill this summer- but they center on finding the time to do enjoy something that is important to me and will recharge my batteries- so my goals are to make the time each day to read a good book, and to kayak with a girlfriend once per week.  For me there is something about gliding on a smooth clear lake, working my arm muscles while enjoying the beautiful scenery that just fills my soul.  Even Dad has a summer goal- he is starting a new hobby- beekeeping.  He recently enrolled in a local beekeeping class and has become fascinated with learning about how a bee colony works and he wants to become part of the effort to boost the bee population.

It’s not important what goals you set for yourself- it’s just important that you set a few, and that you make working towards them a priority in your life this summer.  Do it for yourself, and do it as an example to your kids.