School's out for summer! Yesterday was the last day of school in our district and while I'm relieved my official homeschooling duties have come to an end—I'm overwhelmed at the unstructured weeks ahead. In the past I'd line up summer camps, art classes, swimming lessons, play dates, visits with family and trips with friends that would keep my kids active, engaged and on-the-go. These fun activities would also give me time to work, write, stock the kitchen, wipe down the bathrooms and other things that come with adulting.
Instead there will be more screen time and boredom. More messes and snacks. More arts and crafts at the dining table, more swimming in our Intex Baby Splash Swimming Pool from Target (currently sold out) and more walks around the neighborhood—and that's all okay. I'm also hoping for some really beautiful beach days.
A unique opportunity
There is so much going on in the world today, from the global pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement to climate change. I'm coming to realize this summer is giving me a unique opportunity to talk to my kids about the beauty of diversity, teach them how to be a good helper and anti-racist without other activities or events competing for their attention. I also want to encourage their curiosity about traveling, gardening, cooking, recycling, science experiments, math, reading, and art. I'll need to get creative within these activities so I can talk about the dangers of global health issues, racism and climate change without it sounding like school—and hopefully inspire them to follow their passions and show them that one person can make a difference.
I'm sad they won't get to experience a 'normal' summer this year with friends, BBQs and maybe even a sleepover, but I hope I can give them the confidence they'll need to speak their mind, advocate on behalf of others, take up space, take care of the world, and pursue their dreams.
That's a lot of ground to cover in a few short weeks, but I hope I can give them a glimpse of the world as it is, so they can start thinking critically about how to help make it better.
If you have any book or resource recommendations, I'd love to hear from you. We'll also be camping a lot, so there will be plenty of time for reading! #meanestmomever