How To Have More Fun With Your Kids This Summer

Erin, author of Humbled Homemaker blog, has some inspirational thoughts about how we can really enjoy this summer with our kids.

She believes we can make it fun for them and us at the same time. She believes we can do this by putting down our smart phones, tablets, and to-do lists and really engaging in the world with our kids.

Here's what she suggests:

1. Enjoy the view.

Moms are constantly juggling their long lists of responsibilities and sometimes we simply forget to stop and take in the beauty that surrounds us. Beauty is a very personal thing. Teach your kids what it means to stop and appreciate the world that surrounds them. Share a little of your beauty with them.

2. Enjoy the water.

Kids’ favorite summertime memories often are made at the pool or the lake. There is just something about playing with water that makes kids happy!
Although the little ones may love it, swimming sure is a lot of work for Mom! Put your thinking cap on and come up with an idea that involves water, but also sounds like a lot of fun for Mom, too.

3. Enjoy the dirt.

Chances are you either love to play in the dirt or absolutely detest the stuff. Find something dirty to do with your child that makes you a bit uncomfortable.

4. Enjoy something new.

Make it a priority to introduce your children to something new this summer. The look on their precious little faces is reward enough for our effort to create new and exciting experiences for them.

5. Enjoy the mess.

There is a reason I saved this challenge for the end! There is something about making a mess that is just plain hard for us moms to enjoy.
We are always thinking about the work it is going to take to clean up the mess, and often miss out on the “fun” that was supposed to be had in the making of it.

I'm going to try each one of these tips this summer with my kids. Erin's right, enjoying the mess will be incredibly hard for me. Playing in dirt will be a close second. However, I have a feeling my little man is going to love making mud pies with Mommy!

I think there's a key to this list of summer tips though, it's the word enjoy. If we just slow down and enjoy the time with our kids we can all have a fulfilling summer no matter what our schedules look like.

To find out more about Erin's tips for having fun with your kids this summer, read the whole article at Humbled Homemaker. Then tell us about some of your exciting summer plans in the comments.