As I get older, time goes by so much faster. If I’m not making the most of my time, I figure I’m probably wasting it.
Summer is a perfect example of this. The season here in Canada is so short that if we blink, it’s over. If I don’t take a moment to think about how I’m going to spend it, it becomes a wasted opportunity.
For parents, this is even more important. Kids are so busy during the school year that there’s little time to stop, take stock and think about things other than education and extracurricular activities.
During the summer, parents can stretch a bit and consider involving their kids in character-building activities that will benefit the young people for years to come.
Parents could resort to the same types of activities they’ve depended on, up until now, or they could choose to involve their kids in activities and projects that are perhaps more meaningful and enriching.
Kids can wind up the summer with a great tan and some souvenir T-shirts, or they can come away with amazing new skills, increased self-knowledge and confidence, new and lasting connections and a sense of greater purpose.
In this era of helicopter parenting that finds kids over-indulged with so very little expected of them, parents can consciously decide to do something different.
We can set up our kids for success by putting them into situations that challenge them, inspire them and bring out the best in them.
Summer is short and the opportunity is fleeting. If you’re a parent, it’s not to late to shift gears and start working on creating a more meaningful experience of summer for your kids, right now.
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