Schedule Conflicts
My boys are about to be out of school. There was a time when I dreaded school breaks. I would look to fill up every minute of our time, because I just didn't know what to do with my kids. We would leave the house in the morning, and not return until dinner, if then.
And yes, it filled our space like I wanted. But I would be exhausted because all the stuff I needed to do at home I would have to do after the kids went to bed.
But now, I am looking forward to it. Not because I have all kinds of stuff planned, but because I don't. And I'm ok with it.
We are on the go so often trying to see everything we can while we're in Europe, so we make a concerted effort to keep our schedules pretty simple on the home front. And while I am available to do things with them, I tend to let the kids do their thing, and come to me when they want me to play.
I've learned over the years that we (parents in general) try to structure our children too much. We think that adding more things for them to do will somehow make them smarter, healthier, happier. We forget the wide open days of our childhood, exploring places and having entire days open to unlimited possibilities.
So, during this summer break, we are looking forward to lazy unstructured days, fresh air, and not having to pack any lunches. Unless, of course, we have a picnic.
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