Rooted Mama Podcast
Episode 59: Summer Adventures
Quick Links:
– Introduction to Summer Adventures [00:00]
Transcription:
Introduction to Summer Adventures
Hello friends! And welcome to the Rooted Mama Podcast. Today, we are going to be talking about summer adventures, 2.0 because I did a podcast a long time ago about summer routines. But honestly, I think this one’s going to be more fun because, in different seasons of motherhood, your capacity to do things is just limited. When you have a baby or a toddler, it really limits what you’re able to do. You have to schedule your life around naptime and their mood. Did they eat? Did they sleep? What’s going on? Moving out of that stage, I have really discovered a whole new level of freedom and flexibility with what we can do, and honestly, just my overall energy level. That podcast was very helpful for that season of motherhood I was in, so if that’s where you’re at, go back and listen to that episode. It’s not to say that one season is better than the other, but as a mom, I think it’s fair to say that I don’t enjoy all seasons of motherhood the same. That’s okay. That doesn’t mean I don’t love my children. It just means that certain seasons and certain ages are just more fun than others, and that’s okay.
In this episode today, I want to talk to you guys about some key things that I’m going to be prioritizing this summer for my children and some habits that we’ve implemented that are really good for the kids but also just really fun and help us bond and get closer together. Maybe this will inspire you to incorporate some of these into your summer as well. One of the things as a mom that I am actually quite good at is saying no to things. That sounds bad, but I do a decent job of limiting the number of activities and things my kids can be enrolled in because, one, I don’t want to be running around all the time. Two, I don’t think the kids genuinely want to be running around all the time. Three, when you have a large family, if every child does one thing, that still adds a lot to your plate. Being willing to say no to things is actually very freeing because it allows you to leave time for boredom, flexibility, and outdoor play, and I’m going to go through all those things because all of those are super important. Recently, as I’ve been reading different books to get ready for homeschooling this fall, I think some of that will come across in the things I’m prioritizing in this episode.
Embracing Boredom
As parents, if you can give your child the gift of boredom, that’s one of the best things you can give your children. Some kids will have a much harder time with this than others. I think some of it actually has to do with temperament. If you listen to the temperament episode, you’ll know that sanguine kids are going to have a really hard time with boredom. They’re going to want to go, go and be busy and entertained all the time, but there is a lot of value in allowing your kids to be bored.
I think there are ways you can support them in that. Boredom really gives kids the opportunity to tackle their own emotions and their ability to self-regulate. If there’s nothing to entertain them, they have to learn to go and entertain themselves. I’m kind of spoiled because I have several kids who are melancholic, and I think melancholics historically are very good at entertaining themselves. I personally am also melancholic, so I think that helps in a sense because I really value time to sit and chill and do my own thing. But I think all temperaments really can benefit from this because, when you are bored, a child has to get in a space where they can be creative. They have to regulate own their emotions and how they’re feeling and then make a plan to work on that. So, if they’re bored, they have to navigate going and finding a sibling to play with, going to the neighbor’s house, or deciding, “I want to build this Lego set,” or “I want to read this book,” or “I want to do this project.” All of those skills really lend themselves nicely to the ability to plan, execute, and follow through on something. It also really helps with creativity. Honestly, when you’re bored and have that clean, clear headspace, it allows you to process your feelings and figure out, “Okay, this is where I’m at. This is what’s going on. This is what I need to prioritize.”
Your brain needs that boredom to kind of clean itself up and organize those thoughts and emotions. For some people, this can be really hard because if your brain is a jerk to you and you struggle with intrusive thoughts, boredom can be a really big trigger. That can make it really hard for you to function and get through the day, but in a healthy state, I think boredom is a beautiful thing you can give to your children. One way you can help your child tolerate boredom is to genuinely be excited about it. Sometimes boredom gets a bad rap, so I think it needs to be rebranded. As parents, you need to encourage your child, “This is a great time where you can go play. You can do an activity. You can go on a walk. There’s so many things you can do with this time.” Talking your child through that frustration is helpful, but also recognize there might be times when your child’s complaining about being bored, and maybe they need some attention from you. That’s okay. If you’re in a space to give that, give them that attention for that period of time. Maybe you play a game with them, read a book with them, or snuggle for a little bit. That’s great, but then, when that’s over, go back to playing or being bored. As parents, if we’re constantly bailing our children out from the experience of boredom, we’re really robbing them of the opportunity to learn how to cultivate those skills of independence, self-regulation, emotional stability, creativity, and curiosity. It really gives them a chance to explore and be adventurous.
Outdoor Adventures
The next thing I would really prioritize is getting your kids outside. I know it sounds super simple, but the more time we can get our kids outside, the better they’re going to be. The more time we can have our kids spend outside, the better their moods are going to be. It just helps with so many things. Don’t just make your kids go outside; you go outside yourself. What I try to do recently is, if I’m going to be on a screen and the weather is nice, I’ll try to go sit outside and work outside. I have a desk job. I often thought about how it would be really nice if I could actually talk to my clients while meeting outside. I don’t think logistically we could pull that off, but I think there is benefit to sitting outside and being in nature.
Some of the benefits kids will get from being outside include improved overall health, improved mood, mental restoration, increased focus and concentration, a boost in creativity, and a reduction in anxiety and depression. I also think being outside tremendously helps your sleep because when you get that full sunlight exposure, it really helps regulate your circadian rhythm and also helps with your vitamin D production levels. There are so many benefits to being outside, and the beauty of being outside is that often they don’t have their toys or different things they would have inside to play with, so it really allows them to tap into an extra layer of creativity where they have to look around them and see what’s available and create something beautiful out of that. It really challenges their ability and skills to be observant, to engage in the world around them, and to see consequences of, “Oh, there’s this stick. How’d it get here?” or “There’s the bird chirping. What’s going on there?” or “Oh, I see a squirrel or a fox. Things are running around me, and I get an opportunity to engage with that as well.” I really think if parents sell it to their kids in a way that’s fun and encouraging, kids are more motivated to go outside.
Going outside with your kids is really important because, as a parent, you get to lead by example. If you never go outside or if you hate being outside, it’s going to be hard to sell your kids on the fact that being outside is good for you. The more you can do things as a family, the better. I’ve really found that I love sitting and reading outside, and having my kids be around me and in proximity to me while I’m doing that encourages them to go find things they enjoy outside, and it really creates a fun experience for the whole family. Another thing we’re going to be doing this summer is going on hikes. This is something I’ve been stewing about for a while. I want to be a more outdoor, hiking-type family. I’m not naturally an outdoorsy person, but I do recognize how much better I feel when I get outside, walk, and explore. I’ve always had a really good imagination, and so sharing that with my kids has been really fun. One of the things I’ve been doing with them lately is we go stick hunting. We try to find the best stick, like the best walking stick, or, in some cases, it’s like an imaginary weapon. We read *The Hobbit* recently, so finding a wizard stick or a wand or different things like that has been really fun for the kids. You walk, and you talk about your stick and what you’re going to do with it, and what makes it the coolest stick. You can kind of pump it up and make it like, “Oh, this stick has this ability, and this one has that ability.” Things like that really add some creativity and an opportunity for you to bond with your kids, so don’t be afraid to use your imagination and share that with your children as well.
The Power of Reading
The other thing we’re going to be doing a lot of this summer is reading. I read a book recently about all the benefits of reading and how it helps kids process language, helps their creativity, teaches them how to regulate their emotions, teaches them empathy, and teaches problem-solving. There’s so much about reading aloud to your children that is so beneficial. I really think, fundamentally, a lot of my academic success can be attributed to the fact that my mom read to me consistently. That made a huge difference in my academic abilities.
This summer, that’s something we’re going to really be prioritizing as a family. We’ve always been a family of readers. That was one thing when we first adopted the children or first had them as foster kids: I really wanted to instil in them a love of reading. That was hard because their exposure to reading up to that point hadn’t been great. A couple of them really couldn’t read much beyond a kindergarten level, so it took some time to work on it, support them, and teach them the skills of reading. But I think making reading fun and prioritizing reading as a family really did make a big difference and encouraged my kids to have a love of reading. Some of them love it more than others. I have one child who literally only reads when he’s grounded, whereas I have another child who’s always like, “I need another book, Mom. I need another book. I’m out of books. What do I do?”
Regardless of how your kids feel about it, you taking the time to read with them is going to help them in so many aspects of their life that I really think it should take priority on your calendar. Right now, I’ve been reading a different book with each kid. I think there will be sanguine seasons where we read a whole series together. Also, I really enjoy audiobooks, and I do audiobooks with my kids on road trips, and that’s been really fun. Our library has a summer reading program that’s really awesome. Kids get prizes and rewards when they read for a certain period of time or read so many books, and that’s really fun for the kids because they’re able to take some ownership of that and get some surprises for doing that. So, the three main things I would encourage you to do with your family this summer are: give them boredom, read with them, and go outside.
Our family is going to try to do the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge this year. I don’t know that we’ll get to 1000 hours, but honestly, even if we get half of that, I will be thrilled because normally we spend a lot of time inside. Other things we’re going to be doing this summer include going to the library, going to the blueberry patch, taking hikes, and maybe doing a picnic. We’re going to be going on adventures.
As you go about your summer routine, I would encourage you to take a moment, stop, and consider: am I prioritizing the things that are important to me? Am I setting myself up to enjoy my life and my kids and spend time on the things that matter? Can I incorporate any of those things into our life in a way that’s meaningful? You want to build a life that works well for you and your family, and part of that is going to require some nos and some sacrifice, but that is a good thing and a healthy thing. If you’re wanting more motherhood or parenting tips or encouragement in general, I’d encourage you to sign up for my newsletter. You can find that on my website at shelbyleppin.com. Thank you for listening, friends. I hope you found some tidbits in this episode that were encouraging and inspiring and that you can go out and incorporate into your family and enjoy time with your kids this summer.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at info@shelbyleppin.com. Have a great day!