A Couple of Ideas to Enjoy your Kids During Summer Break

Summer Break is here!!. And it is a time when most parents ask themselves "what can I do for the kids?". Well, let me share some ideas of things that I have tried that work for me.

Spend some time in the Word.

I have always struggled with finding the right way to share the Word of God with my kids in a way they understand. Then I found Minno. They are a subscription-based streaming platform (like Netflix), but for kids. As a Christian parent, Minno's content makes me feel at ease. Not only do they have Christian-oriented content like Veggietales and Superbook, but also learning shows that are "parent approved". They even created Church at Home during quarantine and have kept it up. My daughter and I use this for our devotional time and we love it! They also have a blog for parents with really good advice on Christian family life. Want to start impressing the Word in your kids? Here is a Summer Bible Plan from Minno that you can use. Oh, and if you are a "printable-junkie" like me, they also have some!

Have a Plan for Those "I'm Bored" During the Day

I like to plan my days to the minute. But not everyone in my family is like that. That doesn't mean that you can't have a daily plan! I work all day, so it is difficult for me to create a full daily plan for the kids where I am involved. So, to avoid having my daughter bust into my home office, in the middle of a virtual meeting, yelling "I'm bored!", I leave a list of things they can do during the day. I have a16 year-old son as well, so I seize the opportunity for them to have bonding time. Not only do they have fun, but they grow their brother/sister bond. So, what are those things they can do? Well, I've researched throughout the years for a good formula that fits my family's needs and found a few good resources:

• Summer Calendar from The Confident Mom - I've purchased this calendar for a few years because it has lots of ideas. The calendar has activities per day. You don't have to follow the calendar to the "T", but at least it is a bank of ideas you can pull from when creating your plan. And it comes with a materials list so you can shop ahead of time and have it ready when needed.

• Contributions (not chores) - In my house, we don't have chores. We have contributions. What is the difference? Contributions are thing the family has to do because they are part of this team. They "contribute" to the well-being of the team. "I want to do the dishes!", said no kid ever... but even if they don't see it, helping around the house will increase their sense of belonging and significance - a big boost to their emotional wellbeing. And it keeps them busy for a while.

• 100 Fun Summer Ideas - This list has some good ideas for an afternoon or evening with the kids. My daughter personally loves movie nights. So I try to fit at least one into my weekly schedule (even if I fall asleep during the movie, LOL!) Some don't fit me for a regular workday schedule. But if you plan to take some time off, this list has really nice ideas to plan for those work free days.

What works for you during the summer? Share your ideas with other moms in the comments area.

See you around!