Sunday
Sunday already… and we’re looking at the last two half days of school before (breathe slowly) summer vacation. Before I know it, my two boys, six and seven years old respectively, will be freed from the yoke of oppression known as routine. No more seven o’clock breakfast, seven twenty dressing, seven forty socks and shoes, seven fifty bus, etc. etc. etc.
I remember the sensation of the beginning of summer vacation as a nearly intoxicating sense of freedom. Endless mornings spent lying in bed imagining the possibilities. Hang out with friends in the stream that runs through the back yard? Wander over to the park to see who’s playing baseball? Maybe just hang out in the cool darkness of my parent’s bedroom and watch TV until I feel nauseous?
All good plans, but of course these days we’ll have none of that. Nope, in the twenty-first century (not to mention the last couple decades) we’ve decided that empty time is wasted time. Activities and routine reign supreme… Well, yes, much has been made of the fact that we commonly push our children too hard with too many activities and overloaded schedules, all leading to stressed out kids and harried carpooling parents. All true, we’ve all seen it.
I’ve found though, that as with everything in life, there has to be a middle ground. My experience tells me that my younger son does fine without any structure. He wanders from activity to activity spending the day in a sort of a pleasant state of mind. My experience also teaches me that my older son needs routine and activities. Left to his own devices, he will zone out in front of the TV or Game Boy for hours at a time, only to end up a wangy, over-tired, bored mess. Middle ground. Just the right mix of activities on a reasonably flexible schedule.
But, more on that later… The sun is actually peeking out and I’m off to a high school graduation. Speaking of which, I’m celebrating my own graduation, having finally finished college, but again, more later.
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I remember the sensation of the beginning of summer vacation as a nearly intoxicating sense of freedom. Endless mornings spent lying in bed imagining the possibilities. Hang out with friends in the stream that runs through the back yard? Wander over to the park to see who’s playing baseball? Maybe just hang out in the cool darkness of my parent’s bedroom and watch TV until I feel nauseous?
All good plans, but of course these days we’ll have none of that. Nope, in the twenty-first century (not to mention the last couple decades) we’ve decided that empty time is wasted time. Activities and routine reign supreme… Well, yes, much has been made of the fact that we commonly push our children too hard with too many activities and overloaded schedules, all leading to stressed out kids and harried carpooling parents. All true, we’ve all seen it.
I’ve found though, that as with everything in life, there has to be a middle ground. My experience tells me that my younger son does fine without any structure. He wanders from activity to activity spending the day in a sort of a pleasant state of mind. My experience also teaches me that my older son needs routine and activities. Left to his own devices, he will zone out in front of the TV or Game Boy for hours at a time, only to end up a wangy, over-tired, bored mess. Middle ground. Just the right mix of activities on a reasonably flexible schedule.
But, more on that later… The sun is actually peeking out and I’m off to a high school graduation. Speaking of which, I’m celebrating my own graduation, having finally finished college, but again, more later.
