Browse Category: Culture

Ten Ways Parents and Kids Can Enjoy Summer

Ten-ways-parents-and-kids-can-enjoy summer

My kids are almost out of school for summer vacation. Summers don’t just seem short, they are short. The bad news is you have just 12 weeks to have as much fun as possible. The good news is, you can plan a balance of enough activities so that your kids have fun, you have fun, and in the process they don’t completely unlearn all the knowledge they worked hard all school year to acquire. Use these ideas as a springboard according to your budget.

1. Designate two or three days a week for an activity and write it on your family calendar. For example, every Tuesday could be Farmers Market Day. Your kids will know what to expect, because this adds structure to their weeks. This could help young children learn the days of the week.

2. See what’s happening at your nearest public library or book seller. Most have story times geared for all ages. Your library will most likely have a summer reading program for kids and adults. Some programs offer prizes ranging from gift cards valid at local shops or even books.

3. Celebrate the Summer Solstice. Since the first official day of summer happens to be the longest day of the year, and it offers extra hours of daylight, why not have a challenge to see how little electricity you can use? Eat outside or by use candlelight safely indoors. Take a walk. Catch fireflies.

4. Check to see if movie theaters in your area offer free or low-priced matinees. Tip: the concession stand is a huge money-maker for theaters, so if you are minding your money, time snacks before the movie so you can avoid reaching into your pocket.

5. Give extended family the opportunity to spend time with your kids, too. Do you have a family reunion planned? Or could your parents could take the kids while you log some self-care time or date night? Fond memories can be made. Besides, who knows if they will have a chance to be together in the future, so seize the moment.

6. VBS. Many churches have vacation bible school programs. Most are a few hours in the day or the evening lasting four or five days. These can also be a way to connect other families in your community with kids the same age as yours and for parents to do volunteer work.

7. See the stars! You should plan a night looking up at the sky. Either on a blanket in your nearest park or lawn, or at a planetarium’s family night.

8. Camp out. If you are already a hale and hearty camper with more outdoor equipment than an REI showroom, plan a couple of camping trips. Spending the night in a tent in your backyard or living room also counts, by the way.

9. Make arrangements for swimming. Even if you swim year-round, summer and outdoor swimming are the perfect pairings. Find the schedule for the nearest pool or swim parks and see if you might be able to save on admission costs with a season pass.

10. Have a photo safari. Arm your kiddo with a single-use camera, then head to a park or plaza. After they shoot away, have the film developed. When they return, have fun framing their favorite pictures or make a storytelling collage. Ordering double prints gives them the opportunity to enclose a few favorites in letters. If your child doesn’t write yet, no problem. Have her dictate while you transcribe. But the letter’s recipient will no doubt want your kiddo to be the one who signs it.

Happy Summer! What are some of your ideas for summer activities for children?

Photo by Unsplash/CC Zero

5 Uplifting Songs to Help You Get Your Mojo Going

needle on vinyl LP record player

Music! What would we do without it?

I have a dependable collection of tunes that I use for getting myself out of the doldrums or when I just need some inspiration. When you need something to just make you smile, maybe you can reach for this list and add these to wherever you get your music. Continue Reading

Names

 Name Tag

While we may have been told our entire lives that name-calling was a no-no, naming is a serious responsibility and a special opportunity. How are names chosen? Though most people I know use names they were born with or chose at marriage, I have met some people who chose an “American” name for school or business in the United States. There are books and websites devoted to baby names. Even the Social Security Administration has gotten in on the game with a baby naming quiz.

In the U.S.,  “Mary” and “John” were the most popular girl and boy names in 1916, according to the SSA. In 1966 the names “Lisa” and “Michael” topped the list. My given name is a mouthful, so I am wowed by the rare person who gets it right on the first try. Though close, there is a difference between the name “Bernadette” and my name. To further confound things, the name “Pleas” rhymes with “fez,” not with “fees.” I asked my parents once why they hadn’t given my siblings and me “normal” names. My father told me that since our last name was pretty plain, he wanted to give each of us distinctive first names.

Naming traditions vary by culture. Some families simply name their firstborn sons after themselves, or a parent might choose to honor an elder or ancestor by passing down a first or family name to a child. On the TV show “Gilmore Girls,” a main character named Rory had been named after her mother, Lorelei–who had been named after her mother! Or, as in the case of my youngest child, we simply picked the name we liked the most after narrowing it from a list we’d made.

In the Sikh faith, a newborn’s family visits the temple. There, they choose a name for the baby using the first letter of the the first word of a hymn selected at random by a priest, add the traditional surname for the baby’s gender, then announce the name of their precious child to the rest of the faith community.

In the Yoruba culture, the extended family of an 8-day-old newborn is invited to gather for a naming ceremony. At that time, all present loved ones who would like to select a name for the baby may add money to a bowl, tell everyone the name, and the so the baby is named. At the end of the ceremony the baby can have many names.

Many comedians make fun of the unique names some celebrities have given their offspring. Today names are are more likely to be influenced by pop culture than by The Bible. As a child I was frustrated because I never found my name on one of those souvenirs on a rack, but now I am grateful for my name. No matter the origins, I believe that most of us are fortunate to have families and communities lovingly select the name that they feel will give us a good start in life. Living up to the name–or names–we’ve been given is not a burden, it’s a gift for us use to the best of our abilities.

The video below is the SSA’s countdown of the ten most popular baby names of 2015. What’s the story behind your name? I’d love to hear it!

Privacy Policy - Affiliate Disclosures - Terms and Conditions