An Intentional Saturday
This summer, parents like me were sharing all sorts of Pinterest pins about how to get our kids outside, active, reading, and responsible AND how to limit their screen time. My husband took off with that idea and created “Dad Camp,” which was a wonderfully structured summer plan. And then summer ended.
School is back, so are karate, dance, basketball, and homework. But here’s the thing. My kids still need outside time, and we still need to limit their screen time.
Yesterday, we woke up slowly watching our favorite Saturday morning TV (Barefoot Contessa for me!). After breakfast, COFFEE, and some down time, I came up with this plan:
The “L” jar for my daughter, the “T” for my son, and the third jar for me. If I really believe, and I do, that it’s healthy to spend time reading, creating, outside, and being active, then I need to participate, too. The idea was that each time we completed one of the tasks, we put that color marble in our jars.
There was the anticipated whining at first, but after 30 minutes, everybody was on board and even admitting to having fun. The kids wrote stories, drew pictures, played with the dog, and threw football. They read, too, but that’s not unusual in this household.
In fact, that’s how I chose to start—with my favorite pastime—reading. Then, I spent 60 minutes outside sweeping, scrubbing, and organizing our neglected, spider-infested, dirty front porch. Honestly, I needed that push to get outside; otherwise, I’d have stayed inside all day and not appreciated this abundance of flowers in my front yard.
I didn’t get my creative time in until after dinner, and then I tried baking something new—brioche. I re-watched Paul Hollywood make the dough on Netflix, and then I tackled it myself. Brioche dough proves overnight, so this morning I shaped it, let it prove again, and baked it—all before church. I wrapped up two rolls in a towel and delivered them to my husband at church still warm. He snuck a bite before heading to the pulpit, and said, “Oh my! You’re making those every week.” I’m thrilled he liked them so much; I’m not sure I’m making them every week.
If you’re like me, then knowing you and your kids need to read, create, get outside, and be active and actually doing all of those things are two very different things. This helped me be the person and the mom I wanted to be, at least for one day. I’m sharing in case it helps you be the mom want you want to be for one day, too.
School is back, so are karate, dance, basketball, and homework. But here’s the thing. My kids still need outside time, and we still need to limit their screen time.
Yesterday, we woke up slowly watching our favorite Saturday morning TV (Barefoot Contessa for me!). After breakfast, COFFEE, and some down time, I came up with this plan:
The “L” jar for my daughter, the “T” for my son, and the third jar for me. If I really believe, and I do, that it’s healthy to spend time reading, creating, outside, and being active, then I need to participate, too. The idea was that each time we completed one of the tasks, we put that color marble in our jars.
There was the anticipated whining at first, but after 30 minutes, everybody was on board and even admitting to having fun. The kids wrote stories, drew pictures, played with the dog, and threw football. They read, too, but that’s not unusual in this household.In fact, that’s how I chose to start—with my favorite pastime—reading. Then, I spent 60 minutes outside sweeping, scrubbing, and organizing our neglected, spider-infested, dirty front porch. Honestly, I needed that push to get outside; otherwise, I’d have stayed inside all day and not appreciated this abundance of flowers in my front yard.
If you’re like me, then knowing you and your kids need to read, create, get outside, and be active and actually doing all of those things are two very different things. This helped me be the person and the mom I wanted to be, at least for one day. I’m sharing in case it helps you be the mom want you want to be for one day, too.
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