Parting Words for the Summer
Happy Belated Mother’s Day, RDS mamas – May the Lord bless your nurturing hearts, your tireless care, and steadfast love. May the Lord strengthen you, give you joy, and remind you that the small, faithful acts you do each day matter. If you are grieving over the loss of your own mother, I pray for your heart to be comforted. I’m sorry for your earthly loss.
Shifting gears to three thoughts about the summer.
#1. Please be mindful of your phone use. Your children are watching so how you model will set the stage for them. Your choices, your words and behavior makes the strongest impact on your child’s training. More is caught than taught! I encourage you to place your phone in your handbag during the day, so when you leave home you have it, and try checking it once in the morning and once in the afternoon for any urgent messages. When your children rest or nap, read your Bible or a favorite devotional. God’s Word never returns void. Wisdom from OSWALD CHAMBERS: “The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible, and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically.”
Please be frugal with screen use for your children. Allow your children to become bored. That’s right and challenge them to discover how to entertain themselves. Deciding to limit screen time is a gift worth giving to your children. Hold your ground in the beginning of your summer routine, and it’ll get easier with each passing day. And remember, you are modeling with your screen limits. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician says, “Screens don’t babysit, they rewire the brain.”
#2. Think about revamping your family’s devotional time now that you have more time at home! There is a website, godcenteredfamily.org. and for $6./month, they have a plethora of devotionals that will serve your family no matter what the age range! Their goal is to assist you in training your children to be lifelong followers of Jesus. If you go to their site, you can download a free sample before subscribing. I have done this and liked their material. These devotionals are unique. How? They teach the whole Bible and use the text from Scripture. The lessons are interactive, keeping the children engaged (not electronically), and the lessons include activities from ages 2-teen. For readers, it teaches children to read the Bible for themselves. Each Bible story is connected to Jesus. Do you remember the free app called Greybobby? It’s a great audio for Bible and bedtime stories; great for afternoon listening or when prepping dinner with little hands helping by snipping beans, shucking corn, or setting the table and so on. Chores, right?!
#3. Remember to establish the rhythm and routine of your summer schedule. Set expectations for mealtime, snack time, play time, rest time/nap time, looking at books time, self-entertainment time, swimming/pool time, playground/park time, library time. Summer is an excellent time to teach chores. Yes, even a preschooler can participate. And remember, never do for a child what he/she can do for him/herself. If you do, you rob your child of his sense of confidence, the building block to growth and development. You might think you’re helping, but you’re robbing your child of his sense of accomplishment. A creative and fun idea, perhaps - turn your dining room table into a hideout by throwing a huge blanket over it and making it into a space for your child with books or Legos. Set a timer if you have multiples so each one has a turn in the hideout. I did this and gave my children a small flashlight to use for looking at books. Another possibility – use the space for naptime. Another idea - how about packing a picnic lunch and meeting a friend/her child at the local park? Or bake cookies together and take them to your local fire department!
The tone you set at the beginning of summer will set the stage for its entirety. So, plan your weekly schedule and be the authority as you share your plans with your children. If you work away from home, make sure to communicate your set routine to your child’s caretaker; write it down so there’s no question. You should set the flow of the day’s agenda and expect it to be followed - including activities, down-time, and rest or naps. Happy Summer to all and may the Lord bless you, keep you, and give you favor as you make wonderful summer memories!
