Kids Are Off School — Here's How to Make Summer Actually Matter
Somewhere around July 4th, summer starts to feel long.
The June excitement has worn off. The pool isn't quite as exciting as it was three weeks ago. The kids are asking, for the ninth time today, what's for lunch. And you're quietly starting to count the days until August.
1. One weekly ritual that doesn't involve a screen.
Pick a day. Friday night pizza and a board game. Sunday afternoon at the park. Saturday morning pancakes with the kids taking turns at the griddle.
It doesn't have to be big. It just has to happen every week.
That's how memories get made.
2. One way to serve together as a family.
Serve a meal together at Open Door Mission. Volunteer as a family at Food Bank for the Heartland. Walk dogs at the Nebraska Humane Society.
Pick one. Make it your July project.
3. One outdoor morning each week.
Not a whole day. Just a morning.
Head to Zorinsky Lake Park, Chalco Hills Recreation Area, or Standing Bear Lake. Pack snacks, walk a mile, and head home.
Kids sleep better. You probably will too.
4. One neighbor you haven't met yet.
You've lived on this street for how long, and you still don't know the family four doors down?
Summer is the perfect time to change that.
Walk over with a plate of cookies. Leave a note on the door. Introduce yourself.
It's not weird. You're modeling hospitality for your kids.
5. One book your kid reads to you.
Flip the roles. Let your seven-year-old read to you instead of the other way around.
You'll learn things about them you didn't know. You'll laugh. And they'll never forget that you stopped long enough to listen.
6. One Sunday rhythm that shapes your week.
Summer Sundays slip if you let them.
Pick a time. Put it on the calendar.
A Sunday rhythm is what keeps the rest of the week from turning into one long blur. Love Church has Encounters at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Come straight from the pool if you need to.
7. One dinner conversation that matters.
Every week, ask a question that's bigger than, "How was your day?"
Try: "What's something you thought about a lot this week?" Or: "What's one thing you're proud of?" Or: "What's something you wish we'd do more of as a family?"
You might be surprised by what you hear.
That's the whole list. Seven simple rhythms. All of them free. All of them small.
If you need a starting point, start with #6.
Join us Sundays at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM at 20120 Blue Sage Pkwy in Elkhorn, or online.
We saved you a seat.
