Suzi shares that statistics say, the average Mom spends 4 minutes a day in meaningful interaction with her children. The average Dad spends 2 and a half minutes. Yikes! As I read this am I the average Mom? Some days, I would have to say, “yes.”

I’m not sure what age your children are, but one of the common denominators I’m getting from from these wise women are the same: Children grow up so fast and are gone before you know it! Make the most of your time with them.

I have 8 more years with my son under my roof – 10 more with my daughter. Have you ever looked at it from that perspective? When I do, it makes me want to parent with more intentionality.

With this in mind, yesterday was the first day of my children’s summer break. So we sat down in the living room – white board in hand – and determined a daily schedule. I shared what I expected from them – that not everyday was going to be a party – that we would enjoy our summer break, but that they have responsibilities as well. I also outlined basic behavior guidelines that are expected from each child. (I firmly believe that children crave structure.)

I don’t want to be “that Mom” that parents out of whatever is easiest – putting them in front of the TV or video games to pass the time. I also don’t want to be “that Mom” who has her nose in the IPhone all day either. I truly want to engage my kids with meaningful interaction -making the most of every opportunity.

Let me give you some examples the Lord has shared with me:

• Rewarding my children for establishing their own quiet time. (God gave me a great idea with the use of marbles. I have 2 different colored marbles for each child. Once the child has 5 marbles in the jar – I’ll take them out for a special treat.
• Prayer Journal – Both children have the prayer journal I designed and published. We are going to be diligent to particularly use the thanksgiving section each day. I want them to record God’s blessings. Then we can go back at the end of the summer and remember our blessings and our days together.
• Begin each day in prayer. I do this each day before school, but we will continue this summer. I want to teach my children in the habit of giving each day to God.

Practically:

• One of the women I consulted, Dina, said she has turned off the TV! (She has 4 young children and is a homeschooling mom). She says that she “is so done with the junk.” I applaud her! For my house, TV/video games are now limited to a small amount of time each day.

Instead of having TV time, she is started book time. She has a basket for each child and has filled their basket with books. (Books she bought for .25 from friends.) Yesterday, we went to Barnes and Noble. (My kids had gift cards.) And bought several books to load their baskets. We normally do not frequent B&N, so it was a cool treat yesterday from the heat.

• TV substitutes – My friend, Michelle, bought the whole Brady Bunch series. Along with The Cosby Show and a few others for her children’s television time. (Amazon – her children are 5Th and 8Th grade). Her thoughts are that the Disney and Nickelodeon Shows are continually pushing the envelope. There are too few shows that her kids are allowed to watch.
• I’ve planned a trip to the homestead of my Father. It’s 2 hours east in the deep, deep, deep, deep country! Today is the anniversary of my Grandmother’s home going 10 years ago. My children have an interest in seeing where my Dad grew up and the tombstone of their godly great-grandmother. (We’re stopping at Pizza Inn for lunch to break up the monotony of the long trip and to help keep it fun!
• A trip to the Legislature. As citizens, we can go and watch the proceedings in the gallery above. To make it extra special, Will’s Sunday School teacher is the majority leader in the House of Representatives. We see him on TV a LOT! Paul “Skip”Stam is a Godly man who is standing firm against the tide of immorality and depravity in North Carolina. I want to expose him to men in politics who are making such bold stands.
• To Krispy Kreme for hot doughnuts and to watch them make the doughnuts!
• Trips to museums –

These are thoughts I’ve had. We will not do them everyday, but I intend to be intentional about making the most of the time I have with my children throughout the summer.

What are your plans? Will you share them? Even if you are a grandmother – we would love to hear your ideas.

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As iron sharpens iron, let’s sharpen each other. Let’s share how we can make the most of our time with our children/grandchildren this summer. PLEASE COMMENT!!!! Don’t be shy. We’d love to hear your thoughts!