Schoooool's Out for Summer...

It's the last day of school. Summertime is so bittersweet for me. I just love the laziness of summer, and the time with my kids. I want them to have fun and make memories, like I did as a kid. But it makes me so much more aware of how fast they're growing up. I feel like I've just lost another year of their childhood.

I know I'm having my empty nest worries a little early (they're 4, 8 & 10), but I just don't want to waste any time with them. Sadly, I can see how much time I am losing and wasting: watching tv instead of playing Monopoly, yelling at them for not listening instead of laying down the law and moving on, posting to my blog instead of telling all of this to them. But I know I'm also being a bit unrealistic about all of that. I can't let my life revolve around them. I guess I just need to make a list of goals and set about making them happen. So here goes:

1. Spend some time alone with each child.
2. Turn off the tv and play a board game every Thursday night.
3. Give them regular chores, along with rewards and consequences, so I don't have to nag them and lose my patience with them.
4. Schedule family meetings so we can discuss things as a family instead of getting into the "that's not fair!" arguments that just won't stop in my house.
5. Try to understand that my son (middle child) is always going to be concerned about fairness, and try to give him an outlet for his frustrations when things just can't be fair.
6. Schedule weekly date nights with my husband, so our kids can see that we value each other, our marriage, and our family commitment.
   
7. Spend some time doing nothing, but also plan lots and lots of fun (cheap) activities for the summer so we'll always remember how much fun we "used to have."
   
8. Teach them something, but make it fun: piano, guitar, etc.
   

I'm so aware right now of how often as a mom I have "wished their childhood away." When they were in diapers, I looked forward to their being potty trained. When they were home, I looked forward to the beginning of school. When they were in school, I looked forward to summer. No wonder I didn't enjoy my oldest child's preschool years as much as I am my youngest's.

My resolution for this summer is to enjoy the time we are in when we are in it, and refuse to look backward or forward.