Your kids may be reluctant to jump back into a school year after having three months off, but that does not mean they still can’t eek a little more appreciation out of the seasons! As summer is winding down and you look toward the fall with your kids, take some time out for them to fully appreciate the passage of time and what they are grateful for during those months.
Keeping Them Present
You may wonder why it would even be worth it to express your emotions around the seasons, but it in fact can do your kids (and yourself!) a lot of good! In today’s hustle and bustle, it is far too easy to get lost in the everyday shuffle of activities, work, school, chores, and more work! You and your kids may be grateful for each day that passes, but do you really stop to think about it? Not many of us do, and that can sometimes lead us to miss moments or lose focus. Your kids can greatly learn some social and emotional skills for taking an extra minute to truly realize what they appreciate about certain things, people, food, and even the seasons!
Appreciating Summer
So, if your children are interested in taking a step back, see what kind of medium they would like to use. Do they want to write in a journal about how they feel? Do they want to paint or draw the colors and emotions they feel around the season? Do they want to make some sort of craft to capture the same essence (like something out of wood, crocheting, scrapbooking, needlework, really anything!).
See what your child prefers and try to cater to that specific medium when asking them about summer. What did they like about it the most and why? Was that road trip really fun because they got to visit another state? Did they do anything out of the ordinary over the summer, like fly in a plane for the first time? If so, have them write/draw/emote how that made them feel, and whether they would like to do it again. And as you and your kids start getting into Fall, make sure to stop and see what your kids like and appreciate about it so far too!
Making & Keeping Memories
Make sure your kids know that at any time throughout the course of the year, they can work on these projects and emotions whenever they want! You can also be involved if you or your kids prefer, especially at the end of the season as a sort of “recap”. But anytime they want to stop and appreciate a particularly breathtaking sunset or falling leaves, encourage it!
Katie Kyzivat