by Lois Breneman, © 2000, Revised 2009, Heart to Heart
Read ~ Go to the library and check out a bagful of books for each child and read to them every day. This is a special time of closeness and it will help instill the joy of reading in their own lives. If your child struggles with reading, get a good phonics program, and help him develop good reading skills during break. Give a small spiral notebook to each child to record each book he reads by himself (maybe just the thicker ones), along with the date. He will be glad someday that he did.
Develop Abilities ~ Learn a New Skill ~ Help your children develop their abilities and find their talents. Ask each child to choose at least one creative skill (with your assistance) to learn this summer. It may be sewing, cross-stitch, making mirrors, pillows or other crafts, wood working, wood carving (if old enough to handle a knife), drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, typing, writing poetry, writing short children's stories, rubber stamping, or a variety of skills. Help your child find books on the subject and read up on it. Many skills can be learned simply by following instructions in books. Or if you or your husband can teach that skill--great! If not, find a teacher for him or even learn the skill with your child. Another possibility is to swap skills with a friend---maybe she or her husband could teach your child how to do wood carving and you could teach her child how to do cross-stitch. If your children are very young, give them an art lesson at least one day each week, and possibly a simple cooking lesson another day (maybe with a friend).
Cooking ~ Cooking is something that everyone should learn, whether young or old, male or female. Our two sons were glad they knew how to cook when they living and working together out of state for the summer. Now that they are each married, their wives can count on them to cook when necessary. Check out some cookbooks specifically for children or use the ones you have, and give your children cooking lessons. Start with the basics. Give them a small notebook to list all the things they make during the summer. (It could be a section in the notebook mentioned above.) After they learn some basics, teach them how to plan and cook a family meal. A child of 10 - 12 should be able to make a complete simple meal, with a little help. Start with scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, hamburgers, rice, cooked fresh vegetables, muffins, quick bread, cookies, simple sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, French toast, pizza, etc. Then go to omelets, cakes with icing, casseroles, scalloped potatoes, waffles, yeast bread, and planning an entire meal. If you enjoy crafts, cooking, and children, want to earn a little money for the summer and are able to handle it, pass the word around that you are going to give children's craft or cooking lessons during the summer for a fee. Many mothers would jump at the chance to have their child learn cooking from someone other than herself, which is a shame, but that would be better than not learning at all. Keep the classes small. If summer time is too busy, you may want to teach classes after school hours one day a week or just once a month.
Summer Chart ~ Make up a chart for each child, and include a quiet time, several jobs in the home, as well as reading, creative things, and a service for someone else. Plan a reward system. If your child cannot read, draw a picture chart and give him stars or happy faces to paste when he does a job. For making the bed, draw a bed, etc., and don't expect a perfect job.
Quiet Time ~ Have an hour of quiet for all of the children and for mom, possibly just after lunch, no matter what their ages. This can be time spent reading the Bible and praying, as well as reading other books, doing cross-stitch, or napping, but everyone must be quiet. Elisabeth Elliot's daughter, Valerie Shepherd, said how she requires this of her eight children every day. When our children gave up naps, I also required them to be quiet in their bedrooms, reading or resting for an hour. It was good for the children and it helped my sanity, if nothing else!
Good Manners ~ This summer is a good time to review manners with your children, teaching them conversational manners as well as telephone, mealtime, neighborhood, church, shopping, company and car manners and writing thank you notes. The book of Proverbs, plus the rest of the Bible as well as good common sense and a good book on manners are good guides. Get them involved with little skits, demonstrating the wrong way, as well as the right way for various situations. If you are doing this during family devotions, cover only one topic in a session. Of course, parents need to be on their toes as they teach and model good manners all day long, not just in a sit-down session. However, this has its place too, where both the mother and the father sit down with the children and talk about the proper way to act in specific situations.
Read ~ Go to the library and check out a bagful of books for each child and read to them every day. This is a special time of closeness and it will help instill the joy of reading in their own lives. If your child struggles with reading, get a good phonics program, and help him develop good reading skills during break. Give a small spiral notebook to each child to record each book he reads by himself (maybe just the thicker ones), along with the date. He will be glad someday that he did.
Develop Abilities ~ Learn a New Skill ~ Help your children develop their abilities and find their talents. Ask each child to choose at least one creative skill (with your assistance) to learn this summer. It may be sewing, cross-stitch, making mirrors, pillows or other crafts, wood working, wood carving (if old enough to handle a knife), drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, typing, writing poetry, writing short children's stories, rubber stamping, or a variety of skills. Help your child find books on the subject and read up on it. Many skills can be learned simply by following instructions in books. Or if you or your husband can teach that skill--great! If not, find a teacher for him or even learn the skill with your child. Another possibility is to swap skills with a friend---maybe she or her husband could teach your child how to do wood carving and you could teach her child how to do cross-stitch. If your children are very young, give them an art lesson at least one day each week, and possibly a simple cooking lesson another day (maybe with a friend).
Cooking ~ Cooking is something that everyone should learn, whether young or old, male or female. Our two sons were glad they knew how to cook when they living and working together out of state for the summer. Now that they are each married, their wives can count on them to cook when necessary. Check out some cookbooks specifically for children or use the ones you have, and give your children cooking lessons. Start with the basics. Give them a small notebook to list all the things they make during the summer. (It could be a section in the notebook mentioned above.) After they learn some basics, teach them how to plan and cook a family meal. A child of 10 - 12 should be able to make a complete simple meal, with a little help. Start with scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, hamburgers, rice, cooked fresh vegetables, muffins, quick bread, cookies, simple sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, French toast, pizza, etc. Then go to omelets, cakes with icing, casseroles, scalloped potatoes, waffles, yeast bread, and planning an entire meal. If you enjoy crafts, cooking, and children, want to earn a little money for the summer and are able to handle it, pass the word around that you are going to give children's craft or cooking lessons during the summer for a fee. Many mothers would jump at the chance to have their child learn cooking from someone other than herself, which is a shame, but that would be better than not learning at all. Keep the classes small. If summer time is too busy, you may want to teach classes after school hours one day a week or just once a month.
Summer Chart ~ Make up a chart for each child, and include a quiet time, several jobs in the home, as well as reading, creative things, and a service for someone else. Plan a reward system. If your child cannot read, draw a picture chart and give him stars or happy faces to paste when he does a job. For making the bed, draw a bed, etc., and don't expect a perfect job.
Quiet Time ~ Have an hour of quiet for all of the children and for mom, possibly just after lunch, no matter what their ages. This can be time spent reading the Bible and praying, as well as reading other books, doing cross-stitch, or napping, but everyone must be quiet. Elisabeth Elliot's daughter, Valerie Shepherd, said how she requires this of her eight children every day. When our children gave up naps, I also required them to be quiet in their bedrooms, reading or resting for an hour. It was good for the children and it helped my sanity, if nothing else!
Good Manners ~ This summer is a good time to review manners with your children, teaching them conversational manners as well as telephone, mealtime, neighborhood, church, shopping, company and car manners and writing thank you notes. The book of Proverbs, plus the rest of the Bible as well as good common sense and a good book on manners are good guides. Get them involved with little skits, demonstrating the wrong way, as well as the right way for various situations. If you are doing this during family devotions, cover only one topic in a session. Of course, parents need to be on their toes as they teach and model good manners all day long, not just in a sit-down session. However, this has its place too, where both the mother and the father sit down with the children and talk about the proper way to act in specific situations.
By carrying out some of these ideas, you will be helping and encouraging your child to take another step toward the goal of developing into the person God wants him or her to be in order to bring glory to His name.
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