Alison Crane, Garland County Extension Service
School will soon be out everywhere. The kids' routines will be gone and soon they will be bored. Parents need a summer child care plan based on their kids' ages and stages that also fits their work schedule and a backup plan for emergencies. But they also need a bucket list of activities and memories they want to make this summer.
Parents only get a handful of short summers to make special memories with their kids. Creating a family bucket list can be the beginning of one of the best summers ever and it does not have to include an expensive trip.
My kids are grown, but they still talk about the night they got to have ice cream for supper and then almost got electrocuted when stepping out of the ice cream shop and lightning struck a nearby utility pole. They also fondly remember the summers we went to the dollar movie matinee each week with their friends and shared movie theater popcorn. Neither of these activities were expensive or took a lot of effort to plan but they did have one thing in common. We spent time together doing something just a little bit out of the ordinary.
Making a summer bucket list does not have to be a big production or cause a lot of stress. It certainly should not create guilt because you feel like now you have one more thing to do or that you have to accomplish everything on the list in order to be successful as a parent or family. This bucket list can be something that the whole family contributes to, or it can be a secret list that only you as the parent know about.
Try these tips to make your summer bucket list doable and satisfying:
Write down on a calendar each family member's schedule to get an overall picture of what your summer is going to look like. Use this to see the big picture for your summer and to set aside some free time to be spontaneous or do one of your listed activities.
When asking the kids for their ideas, set clearly defined parameters that you know can be met before they get their hopes up for something you cannot fulfill. They need to know the time and price limits and maybe even give them a list of activities or events that could be possibilities. Here's ideas for free family activities to connect with your kids.
Try to add a bucket list item from each person in the family and make a plan for how to choose and accomplish each item. You can also plan an at home family fun camp using ideas from each child to create games or activities.
Finally, reinforce the idea that sometimes plans do not always work and sometimes things happen that might prevent or postpone family activities. Being flexible is an important part of making memories because sometimes it is the alternative that ends up making the best memories of all.
Finally, make 4-H a part of your family bucket list. 4-H is the educational youth program of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Activities include everything from local day camps and programs to weeklong camps at the Arkansas C.A. Vines 4-H Center.
Every summer, Garland County 4-H and Extension offers opportunities for young people and families to participate in competitive events, club meetings, and day camps to learn about agriculture, sewing, STEAM, and more in fun and interactive ways. Most of these activities are free or very low cost.
To find out more about 4-H or for more information about extension programs, contact the Garland County Extension Service at 501-623-6841 or email [email protected].
Wonderful Wednesdays!
May's Wonderful Wednesdays! can help you learn "Everything Tortillas." Making homemade tortillas is a great item for your family bucket list. Join us May 29 at 1 p.m. at the Garland County Library for the monthly Wonderful Wednesdays! This program is free and sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service and the GCEHC.
If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service office as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.