Summer is here! The sun is out, the air is warmer, and it is time to shed the sweaters and boots. Yay! Wait a minute! That means the kids are out of school and we have to come up with daily activities to keep their minds and bodies moving.
This can be quite the dilemma for single moms and dads, as you can imagine. It means getting childcare every single day, finding camps, clubs and lessons to keep them busy and making sure they are safe, while a single mom or dad goes to work. There is also the issue of “handing off” the kids to the ex and just praying they are safe and well taken care of.
If you think about it, during the school year, children go to school during the day, may be babysat for a couple of hours, come home and do some homework, eat dinner and watch tv until it is time for bed. There are also sports practices and games to fill the time. Now, all of a sudden, there is no school, there is no homework and the sun is out until about 9 pm. Bored kids are not fun, right? Plopped down in front of the tv for hours on end is detrimental to kids and adults. Let’s think of some things that parents can do with their kids to make this summer more fun and comfortably filled with fun stuff, while building positive memories. Here is a short list:
- Make a variety of popsicles out of juices
- Lay blankets out in the yard or at a park and watch a movie on a laptop
- Buy some butcher paper and markers and all of you draw a mural with a theme
- Go to a park with little grills and make s’mores
- Take a card table or blanket out in the yard and make cards for grandparents
- Put a tent up and “camp” in the back yard
- Maybe help kids make up a story and write their own book
- Maybe do a family project like painting a room
- Play board games out in the yard
- Find out where free concerts are and take the kids to enjoy
- Take a picnic to the park for the evening
Many families have lived with a lot of trauma and need some relief, so if you know of a single parent family, invite them over for a BBQ or s’mores at your house. You can do some of the ideas above too.Yes, it takes time and effort, but the rewards are HUGE in the lives of those children and a stressed parent.
“If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides , so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 4:11
Hey! The sun is out! Let’s have some fun! Hope you have a great summer!