Bike bells ringing,
I had an interesting conversation with my mother the other day about Summer Bucket Lists. You know the ones. The ones all over Pinterest. It went something like this:
Me: "Hey mom, do you know what a summer bucket list is? "
Mom: "A what?"
Me: "A bucket list. You know when you create a list of things that you want to do all summer."
Mom: "Well, I don't write anything down but I have ideas in my head about what I want to get done, like, painting the fence, reorganizing my garden etc..."
Me: "Ok, I get it. But what I mean is a summer bucket list for what you wanted us, your kids, to do or experience all summer."
Mom: "Are you crazy, I just told you girls to get outside and figure it out. I never had to say hey girls how about we do this now. You were always way too busy playing with your friends. You only came in to eat, drink or go to the bathroom."
Me: Deep in thought...
I can feel the prickly, sharp green blades on my elbows as I stare up into the brightly, sun lite sky watching the fluffy, ambiguous shapes float by. I think it is a turtle, no a crab. What do you think is behind them? On the other side. Fairies floating, giants grumbling, Care Bears caring. I hear the familiar voice of my next door neighbour calling me. Hey, Bonnie do you want to play something? I stop staring at the creatures sailing past and think of all the possibilities. Sure, we can play hopscotch, bike around the block, run through the sprinkler, play in the sand box, make up a dance routine, play Barbie outside, swing, Chinese skipping, or just chill at the local school park. My all-time favorite was our many sleuth finding expeditions following in the tradition of Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. Lets go get your sister and our other friends too.
We never had bucket lists.
The rest of our summers were usually filled up with weekends camping and two weeks at mémère and pépère's house. What we did camping, well that list is jammed quite full as well. Marshmallow and wiener roasts, hiking on trails, swimming in the lake, playing on the beach, fishing, ghost stories around campfire, cars, riding bikes, and when raining, card games, colouring and reading Archie comics in the camper. At mémère's house it was pretty much the same thing as at home only we got to go to the outdoor water slides, play mini-golf, and more playing at the beach snorkeling, sand castle building, shell collecting, and zip lining.
We had our sand buckets.
I guess being a teacher I dislike the idea of a list in the summer as during the school year everything is so structured and planned. I also feel like making the list is adding to my list of things to do. Ah, summer is almost over and we haven't done x, y and z. Oh wait there is no test at the end. Relax. I would like my kids to just figure it out as well building their creativity and imagination. I can be their supplier of tools but I'm not going to show them what to do with them. I do want my summer's to be free flowing and easy going. I do want my children to look back at their summers growing up with the fondness and fun of just being a kid. All the ideas on the list are awesome. And a lot of them are great reminders and there are a lot of great new ideas for kids to try out that were not available to me when I was kid. 3D sidewalk chalk. I'm a kid again drawing on the driveway.
Now, what was my Summer Bucket List again?
Maybe the Summer Bucket Lists are not actually for the kids but for all of us mommies and daddies who need a reminder to slow down and be a kid again? What do you think? Does your family have a bucket list this summer?
Written by Bonnie Dani
Balls bouncing,
Children's giggles and shouts.
Ah the first day of summer vacation.
I had an interesting conversation with my mother the other day about Summer Bucket Lists. You know the ones. The ones all over Pinterest. It went something like this:
Me: "Hey mom, do you know what a summer bucket list is? "
Mom: "A what?"
Me: "A bucket list. You know when you create a list of things that you want to do all summer."
Mom: "Well, I don't write anything down but I have ideas in my head about what I want to get done, like, painting the fence, reorganizing my garden etc..."
Me: "Ok, I get it. But what I mean is a summer bucket list for what you wanted us, your kids, to do or experience all summer."
Mom: "Are you crazy, I just told you girls to get outside and figure it out. I never had to say hey girls how about we do this now. You were always way too busy playing with your friends. You only came in to eat, drink or go to the bathroom."
Me: Deep in thought...
I can feel the prickly, sharp green blades on my elbows as I stare up into the brightly, sun lite sky watching the fluffy, ambiguous shapes float by. I think it is a turtle, no a crab. What do you think is behind them? On the other side. Fairies floating, giants grumbling, Care Bears caring. I hear the familiar voice of my next door neighbour calling me. Hey, Bonnie do you want to play something? I stop staring at the creatures sailing past and think of all the possibilities. Sure, we can play hopscotch, bike around the block, run through the sprinkler, play in the sand box, make up a dance routine, play Barbie outside, swing, Chinese skipping, or just chill at the local school park. My all-time favorite was our many sleuth finding expeditions following in the tradition of Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. Lets go get your sister and our other friends too.
We never had bucket lists.
The rest of our summers were usually filled up with weekends camping and two weeks at mémère and pépère's house. What we did camping, well that list is jammed quite full as well. Marshmallow and wiener roasts, hiking on trails, swimming in the lake, playing on the beach, fishing, ghost stories around campfire, cars, riding bikes, and when raining, card games, colouring and reading Archie comics in the camper. At mémère's house it was pretty much the same thing as at home only we got to go to the outdoor water slides, play mini-golf, and more playing at the beach snorkeling, sand castle building, shell collecting, and zip lining.
We had our sand buckets.
I guess being a teacher I dislike the idea of a list in the summer as during the school year everything is so structured and planned. I also feel like making the list is adding to my list of things to do. Ah, summer is almost over and we haven't done x, y and z. Oh wait there is no test at the end. Relax. I would like my kids to just figure it out as well building their creativity and imagination. I can be their supplier of tools but I'm not going to show them what to do with them. I do want my summer's to be free flowing and easy going. I do want my children to look back at their summers growing up with the fondness and fun of just being a kid. All the ideas on the list are awesome. And a lot of them are great reminders and there are a lot of great new ideas for kids to try out that were not available to me when I was kid. 3D sidewalk chalk. I'm a kid again drawing on the driveway.
Now, what was my Summer Bucket List again?
- Read books
- Corral outgrown clothes and toys and donate before school starts
- Read books
- Hang out with friends and family at BBQs and the beach.
- Read books
Maybe the Summer Bucket Lists are not actually for the kids but for all of us mommies and daddies who need a reminder to slow down and be a kid again? What do you think? Does your family have a bucket list this summer?
Written by Bonnie Dani
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