Today I feel better because my kids are back in the house. I held a morning meeting to outline expectations for this awesome gift we have called summer. I told them that summer is a time that is easily wasted if we’re not careful. We have some rules:
1. Media time (anything with a screen) is restricted to one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. The kids will determine when these hours will take place each morning, adapting for the needs of the day.
2. Before media can be used (regardless of the time), the following jobs must be completed: read scriptures, make bed, read, play piano, do one job around the house.
3. We have specific projects to work on: next week we finish painting the basement, help with the sprinkler system, and repair a scooter with our time. The week after, we paint all baseboards upstairs… etc.
I am following the rules, too. This means that I am breaking the media rule right now to write this post, so I will end.
I want this summer to be fun. I want the kids to make real progress in their music, reading, and work skills. I want to spend time with them, focused on their faces, not trying to interact by sharing the conversation with screens. I have found that the kids set higher goals for themselves than I do. Summer is a great time to capture their zeal and help them make specific plans for their goals to be completed.
It’s also a great time to spend the afternoon reading, which is what most of us did today. Hooray!