Relaxing stresses me out.
Seriously!
I don’t know how to do it – relax, that is – and when I try…well, I confuse my family around me.
Case in point: A couple of weeks ago, my 5-year-old approached me with a big, award-winning, I-did-something-worthy-of-a-sugary-treat kind of smile. He proudly told me that since he knows I love hard work so much, he made something for me that I was just going to love. He pulled me into the backyard and showed me, with a literal look of satisfaction on his face, a gigantic pile of toys that he had arranged on the driveway. The toys were all completely smeared with a foul-smelling mud.
My son put together an “activity” that he just knew his mommy was going to enjoy doing…spending hours cleaning, sorting, and possibly throwing away a pile of filthy toys. He did it because he knows me. I like projects…but maybe not that kind. 🙂
Anyway, one of my 3 children – perhaps the one who assembled my “dream afternoon activity” – has inherited my, um, personality type. He is a doer. He prefers creating over snuggling, performing over talking, and exhausting himself over relaxing.
Rudy. My son after my own weaknesses. 🙂
So when the slow, lazy days of summer come rolling around…well…
If your family is anything like what I’ve been describing, and you would rather your summer down-time be filled with a random assortment of projects, activities, DIY’s, and money-making opportunities…here is a fun summer-time activity plan that I have put together for our crazy family.
I call it…
The Summer My Kid Became An “Everything-ologist”
In case you are wondering, I actually coined the term “everything-ologist” when I was about 8 years old. It is literally what I told people I wanted to be when I grew up. Deciding on just one thing was – is – impossible for me.
So this is the Everything-ologist Plan:
Our kids will spend the summer “mastering” an assortment of skills. Fun skills! And at the end of the summer, if the kiddos have mastered say, 75% of them, then they win a pre-arranged prize that is totally worth all of their hard work and effort.
Our pre-arranged prize? A trip to the semi-nearby LEGOLAND in Atlanta! They are going to flip. 🙂
I’m really excited about this dabbling-in-different-skills adventure that we will be taking together! All summer long, the kids and I will “become experts” in different fields in all sorts of fun ways. By the end of the summer, they will officially be recognized as an Everything-ologist!
I’m providing you with a download-able version of our Everything-ologist Chart that we will be following. (Click on the 2 pages below and you will be taken to the printable version of the chart.)
Along with the fun reward at the end of the summer, I also award my kiddos with a “Jack-Of-All-Trades” Certificate made from a Jack playing card! Enjoy watching your kids develop some pretty adorable skills this summer.
And don’t feel like you have to fall under the category of Insane-O High-Energy Family to participate in the Everything-ologist Program. It really is just a fun way to stay un-bored during the unavoidable boring moments of the summer. 🙂
How Do You And Your Kids Stay Entertained All Summer?
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