Summer

It's almost here...I can feel the warmth of the summer sun on my skin! Two more work days and then I am finally off for the summer.  5 weeks of glorious time with just me and my boys! Precious time that I have been looking forward to for months now!

All over Pinterest I keep seeing my mom friends pin about summer practice worksheets for their kids, daily chores/rules before fun and keeping your kids in a "school like" routine.  As an educator many may be surprised when I say...screw that!  Summer is a time for kids to relax and enjoy BEING A KID! All school year long our kids are working hard in their classrooms learning.  I see so many of our students going from school to multiple sports practices/games, camps, scouts and then home for homework.  All of this squeezed into a 24 hour time frame that is leaving them exhausted.  Sure, I was busy growing up playing sports and completing school work but nothing like the way it is today. I remember my summer break being filled with kick the can, capture the flag, riding bikes with friends down to circle k to get a slurpee, playing tennis at the high school and fishing at the pond. If we said we were bored our parents told us to go find something to do.  The crazy part is we did without a list of options hung up on the fridge to pick from.  We were required to think and problem solve on our own!

As a working mom my days are beyond busy and just like my kiddos I am extremely excited to sleep in and not have a strict routine that we have to follow.  I want to be outside. I want to go swimming. I want to read a good book.  I want to stay in my PJ's till noon.  I want nothing that has to do with work.  So, why do we think our kids want to do math worksheets or practice their handwriting...they don't.  One education philosophy I hold close is that kids learn through play.  Instead of making your kiddo sit at the table and do "summer homework" make it a game, play 21 if you want your child to work on addition. We have a fun board game that works on addition and subtraction facts that the boys love to play.  Reading practice can happen with reading a recipe, directions, or ask them what they want to learn about and head to the library to look for books.  If the book is above their reading level, sit on the back porch and read it to them.  Talk about it.  Have fun learning about something new together.  Try some science experiments, take a hike and learn about nature, build a fort, go on a picnic, simply enjoy your time with them.  They will only be little for so long!