by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is….) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com
Train up a child..
Summer Vacation Checkpoint
It’s hard to believe that so much of the summer vacation from school has already passed! There were so many plans! Have they all been met? It is a good idea now to review the plans that were made at the beginning of summer and see what has been accomplished and what needs to be emphasized in the time remaining before the children go back to school.
Remember all those plans for the kids for summer vacation? I’m guessing that there were plans to teach them how to be good homemakers. There were plans to give them experiences that would be good for them, and there were plans to have fun together as a family. There is some time left to try to make up for those things that have not yet been accomplished.
During the time left, children can try their hand in the kitchen following recipes and preparing food for the family. The product doesn’t have to be perfect. Praise the children for good effort. Select easy recipes so they can feel a sense of accomplishment. There are many recipes suitable for children.
It is almost always a good idea to choose chores simple enough to allow the children to feel successful. Feeling successful motivates children to try again. When a child feels failure, that child avoids doing that task another time for fear of failing again. Do not jump in and do the chore for the children no matter how tempting it may be. Children learn from mistakes. Chores should include cleaning and making minor repairs. How are they doing with helping in the yard? Now is the time to make sure all has been covered that the children are able to accomplish. Once the children are back in school, there will be limited time to teach things necessary for children to grow up and have good homes of their own.
Have the children had good experiences this summer that include visiting historic monuments or national parks? Have they taken part in new activities that expand their understanding of others? There is still time to go on trips as a family. There are many interesting places in our area. We live in a beautiful place in this country. Helping children appreciate that beauty will go a long way in creating a good attitude.
Has the family simply had lots of fun together? If not, make sure the summer does not end without doing so. Whether it is playing games together, working together, or traveling together, fun times create special memories. Good “belly laughs” are remembered for a long time. Fun times create memories that act as glue for a family to stick together.
Don’t come to the end of the summer and have to say, “Where did the time go?” Use the time now to work and play with children. They will be gone from home before you know it!