Make Summer Special!

Being out of routine can be special. Who remembers everyday? We all remember special days.

Holidays can be special in so  many ways, and you don’t have to go anywhere else to achieve that holiday feeling. Just having breakfast in bed, or a picnic in your own garden, or a pajama day can feel like a total break. You might just tootle down the road for an outdoor swim, or potter round the park with no time limit. Making something that happens everyday that little bit special can make for a memorable occasion.

If you are away on holiday, make it special. It’s a shared experience. It’s a holiday of a lifetime. It’s a complete break. It’s a fantastic place to be. Whatever it is, build it up, and make the most of it. Celebrate it afterwards too, with photos, video, postcards, letters, memories.

If you are at home, why not do something silly? Hold your own “summer camp” with themed activities (these don’t have to be elaborate, just capture your children’s imagination). Dress up 80s style for the day. Cunningly disguise jobs around the house as something that sounds (and feels) like fun. Turn a walk into a treasure hunt (check out www.naturedetectives.org.uk  for some great ideas and resources).

If you’re working during the day, you could plan something to do in the evening that wouldn’t totally exhaust you but would feel fun to you and the kids non-the-less. An evening swim. A BBQ somewhere different. An open air concert.

Make your kids laugh. With you, or at you. Whichever! Have a good giggle yourself. Release all that term time tension in a good belly laugh or two. A good dose of hysterical laughter can work wonders, especially when things in general aren’t feeling too funny. Hunt down those people, physically or virtually, who have the power to have you rolling on the floor and nearly wetting your knickers. Let your kids make you laugh too.

This year, I challenge you to not take summer too seriously! Don’t turn it into a challenge. I’m sure that what our kids really want is some real connection with us, the chance to be the tiniest bit bored, and a little bit of excitement, however you decide to create this.

Oh, and I think they like to have a little choice too. So make sure they get plenty of input and the chance to share their own ideas for what makes their summer extra special.

ENJOY!