Oh, I know this summer is going to FLY. Except that 2nd week of Alex being away at Winshape when I'm missing him most (and Kate will be missing him by that time, too, I predict). The kids know the June schedule by heart at this point. This week, KRK. Next week, Winshape and Gymnastics. Week after, Winshape and KRK. Week after, Art Camp. Then BEACH WEEK! They're excited about all of it, I think.
Today I wrote down a few Summer Goals, hopefully fun things, inspired by another mom's blog post. They are:
- Finish the Easter puzzle! It's sitting on our dining room table looking sad. The kids suggested this morning that we should come in after camp, get a snack and work on it together for 10 minutes a day. I am liking that idea! How are they so smart?!
- Bike riding. I would really, really love for both kids to learn to ride bikes without training wheels this summer. Shawn, would you be okay with them riding in the backyard? Maybe around the perimeter to damage the grass a little less? And, we'd need to pick up a new used bike for Alex, who has totally outgrown his current bike.
- Reading. I think I'd like to assign that they each read/finish 4 chapter books on their own. Could be summer reading assignments for school, but manga, anime and comic books don't count in this instance (usually I let them count). Maybe I'll incentivize this with a gift card to Barnes and Noble if they accomplish it.
- Swimming (Kate). It would be awesome if she'd get over her fear of going all the way under. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't, and that's fine, but we could work on it.
- [Screentime Limits]. Ay-yi-yi. YouTube videos and Nintendo DS are trying to burn themselves onto Alex's retina and he willingly sits there glass-eyed, letting them in. I don't know how, but I've got to got to got to limit his time on the devices when he's home with us. At Winshape and Boy Scout camp, it's not allowed, so no problem there. And at my mom and dad's and even the beach, I'm happy to let the rules relax a little, but.... I just can't have him spending whole days, like he did over Memorial Day weekend, with his head down. Meanwhile, he's saying he would like his OWN YouTube channel to upload [nonsense] he finds interesting, like his commentary while opening Buddy Fight card packs, and his narration of the playing of video games. This is what the 10-year-old boys find fascinating. One, why?!?, and two, how to allow this with all the right safety rules while still allowing it be "his" thing? And it's more time at the computer/device, of course, to create the stupid videos. I suppose it could make him a six-figure salary like it has other "Internet rock stars," but.... Urgh. All the way around.
4 comments:
Girl, I hear you on the screen time. We've limited to their during the week time to Wednesday nights only. That's pretty much a free for all night and they can watch as many programs/play as many games as they want. It's the weekends that are hard. We've tried limiting them to an hour per weekend day, but sometimes time sneaks up on us and we realize they've been playing longer than we'd like. And honestly, sometimes it's nice to have them out of my hair while I'm working on a project.
I like the idea of a summer reading list, though. I think I'm going to make one for my kids. :)
Yes to screen time limits and MadameQueen's comments on it. "So, Madison, I can't play, because I need to work; you have no playmates; and you can't watch TV. Or eat a snack." I need to think about this one, because obviously my guilt is going to get in the way of setting limits!
So nice to see you here again, MQ! :)
And yes, the weekends are the worst, for sure.
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