Summer Goals

[Erudite]

Each summer, I get my kids a journal and we sit down and set goals to accomplish over the summer. Today was the day to discuss that and then they took a few minutes and wrote in their journals about what they'd like to do over the summer.

This is partly in self defense. If they have a list of things to do, I don't have to deal with "I'm bored" all summer.

This year I added a new kind of goal...that they have to learn to do something BY THEMSELVES. My 12yo ds's goal is to bake cookies. I'm going to put him in charge of baking cookies for our family next Fall for school...this is also self defense because I eat WAY too much of the cookie dough when I bake them...and HE is the one who needs to gain weight. My 9yo dd's goal is to learn to use the sewing machine. The 7yodd's goal is to crochet, and the 5yods's goal is to learn to read (he already has the basics down, I just need to have him practice each day). Anyway, it also gives me something to be doing WITH them, which is a goal that I need.

My summer goal is to learn how to refinish furniture.

So, do you all have big plans for your kids over the summer?

Mine also have goals in reading, writing, math, making their beds, and practicing the piano.

[5ft Diva]

WOW, E!!! You are definitely feeling better. What a fun idea for your kids to have their own goals. I'm not feeling quite as ambitious yet. We're just gonna focus on keeping a routine over the summer. That's about all I can handle and it'll definitely put me ahead of the game when school starts again.

[bookworm]

I'm impressed, Erudite! I'm just going to try to survive one of my busiest summers ever~ and enjoy my kids as much as I can.

I was planning on having the kids write some lists of activity ideas so when their video game time is up, they'll have something to do- I like the idea of doing it as goals. I hadn't thought about each of them having a "learn a new thing" goal. I'll have to think about that. I'm not as ambitious as you, but I do plan to have the boys work on math and 5-yo dd work on reading as well- every day.

My only personal goal is to not lose my mind between now and girl's camp! After camp, there are only a couple of weeks and then school starts again, so my summer is not going to be very relaxing, unfortunately. But once school starts, I should be able to start setting some personal goals and actually have a few hours to work on them!!

[Erudite]

Well, I did start small about 5 years ago with just the journal, but we have been doing this a few years now so it's natural for us to move on. And I HATE the computer time thing, so I want them to have other things to work on and do in hopes of keeping them OFF the computer through the summer.

And I have to admit, we make the goals, but we don't always follow through on them. But it is a way to keep the boredom out and the value and bonding in.