Ideas for how to create memories with your kids this summer!

Many of us are now ‘officially’ on summer break.

For kids, it’s a time for popsicles, pool visits and unscheduled adventures!

For parents, it’s a time to reconnect with our kids who have been trapped in a school building for the better part of the year.  

It’s also a time to think about what we might do together this summer.

Now I’ll bet you’re thinking this is going to be one of those ‘list’ posts – as in, make a summer bucket list or a what we’ll do this summer list.

But it’s not.

Even though that’s a great thing to do – it’s not the ONE thing I want you to do –

Scratch that –

It’s the one thing YOUR kids really need you to do this summer.

 

The item I’m talking about only requires a pen, a sticky note and 3 minutes of uninterrupted time ….

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Image credit:  Vitalinka at Deposit Photos

Tips for Making Memories with Your Children

We can all manage 3 minutes without someone asking for something, right?

Well, we can at least try 😉  

Hide in the bathroom if you must.

Because this is pretty important for your summer –

I’m here to tell you from experience that you only have 19 summers with your kids – 19 that’s it!

I know that sometimes it feels like they drag on forever but believe me, “the days are long but the years are short”

So before this summer gets away from you – whether it’s your 1st or 7th or 19th – I want you to sit quietly for 3 minutes and write down 3 of the best summer memories you have from your childhood.

Three solid summertime memories that you can recall about AWESOME things you did as a kid.

 

And don’t give me those lame responses like “I remember swimming and eating popsicles and staying up late”

Well, yea, we ALL remember that!

I want 3 DISTINCT memories that you can share with your kids

Things that created ‘your story’ as you grew up.

 

Something like ….

I remember swinging on the tire that was tied to the tree at our campsite one summer – you had to balance one foot on the tree, pull the tire up to the branch, try to quickly slide from the tree to the tire and them remember to JUMP into the water before the tire swung back.

Do you have memories of doing something daring?

Or maybe memories of a once-in-a-lifetime trip you took with your family?

How about memories of adventures you had with siblings or friends?

I can remember hiking back to the woods at our house and playing at the creek with my brother, sister and neighborhood friends.  We would head out after breakfast and then come back so hungry for lunch because we always had such a great time that we’d forget all about food.

Or maybe you have memories one of those camping trips your parents dragged you on when you were a teenager – you know, the one you pouted on because you couldn’t be with your friends 😉

 

Have you ever shared any of these memories with your kids?

See, here’s the thing – we are all caught up in this parenting thing every day.

 We are cleaning and shuttling kids, signing permission slips and checking homework, doing laundry and cooking dinner …

But there’s really so much more to it than all that. …

Parenting is about making memories and sharing memories – it’s about slowing down long enough to let the kids get to know who YOU are and remembering what life was like when you were their age.

 

There’s an awesome quote that was part of the inspiration for today’s post –

“Your child will never remember their best day of television”.

Really, they won’t.

But they will remember the tire swings and campfire sessions, they’ll remember when you taught them how to make a blade of grass whistle or showed them how to use a pogo stick.

They’ll remember the time that you froze bananas and dipped them in chocolate sauce or the night you let them stay up super late on vacation.

Go ahead … I’ll give you 3 minutes right now

Ready, set, Go!

 

3 wonderful childhood memories of summer!

 

So your summer assignment from me is to share these memories with your family.  

I’ll bet your spouse might not even know about one or two of them.

It’s actually how I learned that my husband and his friends use to play ‘fire ball’ as a kid (don’t ask 😉

I’m hoping that the memories you recall will help you to remember —

It’s not about creating the ‘perfect’ summer for our kids — It’s about letting them have experiences that will create lasting memories.

 

 Image credit:  Dubova at Deposit Photos

 

I hope you’ll be joining us for The $0 Summer: 105 Ways to Make Memories without Spending a Dime!

Here’s to a wonderful summer!

 

MORE SUMMER FUN IDEAS:

Free Summer Scavenger Hunts for Kids

20 Ways to Enjoy a Summer Evening

34 Ways to Be a Cool Parent this Summer