Setting Intentions for Your SUMMER
By Sarah Morford
RIP endless summer; this one’s going to be like a flash in the pan. We’re going to really have to make it count. You have eight brief, searing weeks to come down from the most bizarre year in recent history, dig out the science experiments that have been forming in the recesses of your kids backpacks, give them the summer of their dreams and then ramp back up into new backpacks, crisp uniforms and new teachers. I’m here, as your summer Cruise Director, to give you some notes on setting intentions for your Summer. Let’s make it the best Summer ever. The antidote to 2020.
Schedule your down time. Whether or not you’re filling the Summer with camps, or local activities and travel make sure you schedule some downtime for your kids when the school year ends. In our family, we like to spend at least the first part of the first week of summer relatively unscheduled. Whether it's a week or a few days, some unscheduled time to come down from the year can help kids adjust and decompress and set you up for a better Summer.
Plan It Together: Work together with your kids to make a list of things you want to do. Last Summer, I clipped a page of the newspaper that had a list of Summer activities. It became our template for the Summer. This year, I’m making my own. We will: rent kayaks from Backwoods Paddle Co. and kayak the Trinity, feed the giraffes at the Zoo, take our sketchbooks to the Botanical Gardens, go to at least one Drive-In movie at the Coyote Drive-In, get shaved ice from the Funky Monkey on Camp Bowie, have a sprinkler day with wedges of watermelon for lunch, make our own ice cream, spend a day at Eagle Mountain Beach, and go to Six Flags. I love that everyone in our family can add something to the list and when we’re feeling bored, we can just consult the list and make our plans for the day.
Camp it Up: Fort Worth has so many summer camps to offer, it can be dizzying. From dance, to karate, to art, to sports and musical theater, make sure you secure your spots early. Camps can be a great opportunity to make new friends and learn new skills. Your child can try something new in a camp that they may not get the chance to try during the school year. Pro tip: camp is more fun with a friend!
Grill and Chill: When Summer comes, all real meal planning goes out the window. Almost every single night, we throw some meat or fish on the grill, whip up an easy sauce like chimichurri or a fruit salsa, grill some vegetables along the side, and eat outside with paper plates. If you haven’t tried it before, throw some peaches on the grill this year and serve them with some of Curly’s famous vanilla custard.
Fight the Brain Drain: One of our go-to summer spots is the Fort Worth Library. We visit the library weekly throughout the summer, and use the afternoons (when everyone needs a break from the sun) to have quiet reading time. Another favorite activity is putting on an audiobook from the library and snuggling up on the couch and listening.
Plan for Fall: As hard as it is, at some point we shift our focus from bare feet and popsicles to the Fall. Before too much time has gone by, I like to make some notes from the year of what worked and what didn’t: from wake up times and breakfasts, to after school activities, teacher appreciation and more. If I wait too long, I’ll forget about some of the tweaks I think we could make to make the next year go smoother.
Go Out with a Bang: I have a friend who has a “School Years Eve” party every year the weekend before school starts - they rent a bubble machine, have a dance party, and dance summer outta town. We always try to take a fun 1 or 2 night trip with the kids the Friday before school starts. And last, we sit down for one big summer rehash - what did we love the most? What did we miss out on? What are we already dying to add to our list for next year?
With some intention, some heart, and a lot of sunscreen and bug spray, you can make this the best summer ever. No matter how you spend it, we hope that our eager Eagles have an amazing summer filled with adventures. We can’t wait to hear all of your stories next Fall!