"How to Get the Most Out of Summer Vacation"
Since May, I've spoken to several mothers to find out what they do in the summer when they are not homeschooling. The answers are both as varied and as interesting as a bouquet of flowers. Some are devouring new curriculum they purchased at their state convention or through the mail. Others are using summer to cover some subjects with their children they didn't get to finish during the school year, while still others are using the less structured days of summer to get in some family vacation time or special field trips. Some even find time during the summer to get some projects done around the home.
I have done just about all of these things over the years depending on what our greatest needs were. Last summer I did several painting projects inside our home (when you live in your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it's no wonder your walls take a beating!) We also took some family trips to visit our relatives, including going to a large family reunion where our kids got to meet and form friendships with relatives they never knew they had.
In thinking about the little "window" of summer (two months really does go by fast!), one verse in particular comes to mind from Psalms 16, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." God has given us a wonderful inheritance, both in Heaven, and here now on earth. If you're feeling like your summer is too short, remember the goodness of God and His provision for everything you need.
And if you haven't already planned out your whole summer, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Plan your activities around what's most important to you as a family:
- Use this time to learn about your area's history if your family likes to go on field trips together. Look for free concerts, art exhibits, and historical tours where you can learn together without going broke. We always try to take in at least one free evening concert on the National Mall, and are hoping The National Gallery of American Art will finally reopen after a six-year renovation so we can go see the Presidential Portrait Gallery and study some western art.
- We love reading aloud as a family, but never seem to have enough time during the year. If you enjoy this kind of time together, use the summer to pick out a variety of books to share together. Biographies and classic fiction, along with a few light-hearted stories are on our list this summer. We're trying to finish N.E. Nesbitt's The Treasure Seekers, and Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates, and The Indian in the Cupboard. If we still have time, I'd like to read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Phantom Tollbooth, and Michael Bond's The Paddington Treasury.
- If outdoor activities are your thing, summertime is great for planning hikes in the mountains, taking biking trips, or even some day trips to the beach. Take your camera to remember your special outings, and take the time to enjoy God's creation, observing and talking His beautiful handiwork in the rocks, shells, or wildflowers you collect along the way.
- Don't forget to invest in relationships.
- Do you have any relatives who would love to hear from you or your children? Sending a care package with loving notes, handmade artwork, or other momentos to an elderly relative might be a tremendous blessing to a loved one.
- Are there needy or lonely people in your church or neighborhood that planning a work day for or just stopping by for a friendly visit would brighten their day? School year schedules often prevent this type of outreach, but summer is a great time to think of others.
- If you are part of "Moms day out" kind of program, think about planning some park days or other outings with other families for fun for the kids and recharge time for you moms. You might even want to schedule a couple hours out for coffee or tea one-on-one with a good friend every few weeks. Try not to talk only about homeschooling, but include topics that will encourage your walk with the Lord, and His goodness, faithfulness, and love.
- Consider including some getaway time for you and your husband. A night or two at a Bed and Breakfast or an inexpensive hotel in a nearly town can go a long way to rekindling your romance, not to mention remind a mother she is a wife first, mother second, and homeschooling teacher last. If you're strapped for funds, try farming out the kids to some friends for a long weekend. They will love the time with friends and you won't go broke. Just remember to leave the computer off, and the phone off the hook!
- Take some time for yourself, too, Mom.
- Summertime is also a great time for mom to take a break to be alone, and be refreshed and renewed in the Lord. Bring your Bible and/or a devotional book you've been wanting to read, but don't limit yourself to just that. If you're in a public place for your breaktime, you may be limited in what you can bring with you. If you have an opportunity to spend an overnight at a friend's house, however, where you won't be interrupted, or can even stay a night in a local hotel, bring something you love to do that you don't normally have time for during the school year.
Do you like to read literature? Or do oil painting? Perhaps you like to scrapbook, or knit. Bring something to enjoyably occupy your time while you listen to an uplifting sermon on a CD, or some classical music or hymns. Basically, go with the goal of reviving your soul, renewing your heart, and refreshing your body.
- Planning for the upcoming school year is a must, but make time for more than curriculum.
- Along with checking out new curriculum and planning your year, make time for reading up on learning styles, household organization, hospitality or family ministry, or fun field trips in your area. There are so many helpful, interesting books that pertain to topics like learning about how your children learn or what are their spiritual gifts, being a better parent and teacher, or how to reach out to your community as a family, etc. The list is almost endless!
Follow the leading of God's Spirit as to what you should be reading up on. I have been convicted to learn more about my children, especially as they approach the teen/young adult years. So I'm spending some time reading Paul David Tripp's Age of Opportunity and rereading portions of Dr. Charles Boyd's Different Children, Different Needs.
I also long to give my children the gospel everyday in their lives. Yes, they and we are saved, but we all need to hear the sound of the gospel in our ears everyday (to quote Charles Spurgeon). So to help us in this area, I'm rereading C.J. Mahaney's The Cross-Centered Life which has great application for both me and the children, as well as starting Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer by Tedd Tripp, about fallen people (me!) helping fallen people (my children).
Whatever you decide to do this summer, thank the Lord for your delightful inheritance, and have fun together as a family while you use the time well for the glory and honor of God.
~by Tracy Klicka