Savoring the Sweetness of Summer

   Doldrums. The word describes a feeling of lassitude or torpor and was derived from an area called the doldrums, located around the equator. Having very little air movement, sailing vessels can sometimes become stuck there for extended periods of time. In the long, lazy days of summer, it’s not uncommon that we find ourselves, parent and child, similarly stuck in our own doldrums. As parents we may even hear the dreaded, â€Å"I’m bored. There’s nothing to do!† If that happens to you, don’t stress. And don’t feel as if you immediately need to fix the issue either. There are surprising benefits to being bored. Western culture places a high value on work and busy-ness. It becomes almost a badge of honor to share with our friends how overworked we are and how many activities our children are involved in. During the school year our students may have tutoring, athletics, and clubs on top of their homework load, keeping parents busy after the work day shuttling their students from Point A to Point B. And when the summer comes, oftentimes families simply double down on the activities, signing their students up for drama camps, faith-based camps, horse camps, taekwondo camps, cooking camps, etc. If you can think of it, there’s a camp for it! While all of these experiences provide enrichment and fun for students, making time for some margin offers some benefits. Boredom can be the key that unlocks relief for an overstrained mind. While our bodies are at rest, our brains are still engaged. Margin to sit, to breathe, and to think can provide the impetus that stimulates creativity and novel thought. Bertrand Russell, a British philosopher, once said, â€Å"A generation that cannot endure boredom will be a generation of little men, of men unduly divorced from the slow process of nature, of men in whom every vital impulse slowly withers as though they were cut flowers in a vase.† Boredom facilitates thought. And thought leads to creativity and innovation. Too often we work to eliminate boredom, but perhaps building in some space in our summer to reflect and dream will make our world a little bit brighter. This summer, think about ways you can cherish the slower pace with your children. One of the best ways to enjoy summer is to simply get outside and embrace â€Å"the slow process of nature.† Go to the park, take a hike, stick your feet in a cool stream, or set up your hammock in the backyard for a summer snooze. Watch a storm roll in and listen to the clash of the thunder. Put up a backyard bird feeder and notice the birds that come to visit it. Keep a notebook and pencil nearby and see if you can capture the tree in your backyard or that big rock in the park that the children love to climb. Sit in the dark and listen to the sound of the frogs barking in the distance. Watch the fireflies dance. The slower pace of summer is not a thing to be avoided; it’s a thing to be celebrated. To learn more about how you can enjoy the great outdoors with your students, listen to Andrew Pudewa’s presentation, â€Å"Nature Deficit Disorder: Causes, Consequences, and Cures.† We are delighted to share it with you for free. What ways do you have to embrace the slower pace of the summer? Share them in the comments section of this post, and we will enter your name to win a $50.00 IEW gift card. The drawing will be held at the end of the day on July 31, so don’t worry. You have plenty of time to rest and enjoy the slower pace of life, perhaps with a nice cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade by your side.    Jennifer Mauser  has always loved reading and writing and received a B.A. in English from the University of Kansas in 1991. Once she and her husband had children, they decided to homeschool, and she put all her training to use in the home. In addition to homeschooling her children, Jennifer teaches IEW classes out of her home, coaches budding writers via  email,  and tutors students who struggle with dyslexia. Log in or register to post commentsJennifer Mausers blog Log in or register to post comments Thanks so much for your Permalink By klneumanJun28 Thanks so much for your encouraging and thought-provoking article! We just got back from a 2-week summer vacation visiting 4 national parks in the Pacific Northwest. There were times we felt like the kids would rather be doing something else, but we knew it was healthy for them to enjoy nature, hike, and take in Gods beautiful creation. Crater Lake in Oregon was absolutely breath-taking! Log in or register to post comments Oh, wow! What wonderful Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun28 Oh, wow! What wonderful memories your entire family must  have from this experience. It sounds like a marvelous trip. Thank you for sharing! Log in or register to post comments Family memories Permalink By amsteinfamily@g...Jun28 We went to rural Montana this year. No TV signal, no cell phone service, just quiet family games in the evening and lots of beautiful hiking during the day! It was pure bliss. A bonus was the kids never asked for anything electronic or missed them!!! Log in or register to post comments It really does sound blissful Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun28 It really does sound blissful. What a time to cherish!   Log in or register to post comments Boredom Permalink By Rebecca AquinoJun28 I agree completely. I love the many different ways to take in nature at home and away. We go fishing and hiking and we even brought home some tadpoles to raise. We also participate in our Library’s summer reading program and get to read more than during the rest of the year, especially Mom. But it definitely helps to keep a few ideas handy for when the boredom turns into arguments or other explosions when it’s too hot to endure any more outdoor time or we can’t get away. I am working on building up the tinkering box, the audio book list and the art supplies. This afternoon we’ll be listening to Mr Pudewa’s Nature Deficit Disorder! Thanks for this post! Log in or register to post comments I hope you enjoyed listening Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun28 I hope you enjoyed listening to the post. It’s one of my favorites. And it’s a great idea to have a â€Å"tinkering box† at the ready. I recall raising tadpoles one summer. My kids found them in the backyard pond. It was such a fun summer watching them develop into frogs! Log in or register to post comments A Good Mystery Permalink By jdsleepJun28 The slower pace has allowed me to enjoy the not-so-guilty pleasure of a mystery (or two) and a Louis LAmour. Were reading The Phantom Tollbooth outloud. Also, its been good to just play with the younger children, too... Tea parties! Log in or register to post comments The Phantom Tollbooth is a Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun28 The Phantom Tollbooth is a great read! Read-aloud time is a great way to while away the summer, and a cup of tea caps the time off nicely. Log in or register to post comments Summer days of yore Permalink By Dr.aleeneJun28 Summer has blessed us with the carefree days of pre-school, before we had reports and math tests. We enjoy leisurely galavanting around town on some days, and nice mid-day tea on others. Summer reminds us of the fun we had exploring aimlessly without schedules and deadlines. We love summer because it reminds us how much we cherish spending time together, even when that is all we are doing. Summer nights are the best. Long chats in the warm air, pondering why God made mosquitos, and reflecting on the beauty of how our cat’s fur is specially designed making her a walking piece of art. Summer reminds us God is good, all the time. Summer is sweet. Log in or register to post comments Summer really is sweet. It Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun28 Summer really is sweet. It sounds like you and your family are savoring the days and the nights, too. Beautiful! Log in or register to post comments Great Message... another idea Permalink By iew06Jun28 Take every opportunity to increase the number of connections between your family, your home and the natural world -- bringing the outdoors in and luring the family outdoors. A great summer project related to this is to get a plant for each family member to care for. Living plants bring nature inside, enliven your decor, and improve the quality of the air in your home. If you get simple terracotta containers, each family member can decorate each container and name each plant. Planty - my sons plant - has been a beloved part of our family for years now and proudly sits in his room along with another plant that is Plantys offshoot. Seeing his plants, my daughter adopted her own from a clipping of his. My children see me tending to my inside house plants and outdoor container plants regularly, and copy that behavior with their own plants in their rooms. Cant say enough about how the simple act of having plants in the house connects kids to nature, gives them a sense of responsibility, and allows them to see the ebb and flow of vitality. Because of our success caring for houseplants, we planted a 4 x 4 raised bed garden in the back yard, which over the seasons has grown to 9 beds. Now, my children dont find it strange to be sent outside for onions or tomatoes before I start cooking for dinner. Im far from a homesteader, and live in an suburban setting, but gardening and composting are now normal for us. We also watch Monarch butterflies that visit the wild milkweed growing in our garden. We watch the milkweed give off its seeds in fluffy white puffs that float on the wind each year. We watch cardinals steal blueberries and cherry tomatoes most evenings, and we have even named a garden snake who sometimes eats lizards around the garden. Start small, be bold and take time to find ways to add nature to your home and yard. Log in or register to post comments Gardening is a wonderful way Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun28 Gardening is a wonderful way to share the summer season as a family. I love how you are involving your children in it. This year our family is sprouting African violets from leaves. It’s been so much fun to see them grow. You painted a beautiful picture, and now I’ve got a hankering for some blueberries, too. Log in or register to post comments Summer in Florida Permalink By PallipatteJun29 Thank you for the encouragement to relax, recharge and refresh. Since we live in Florida, our summers are hot and steamy, which makes it being outside for too long, difficult some of the time. Beside cooling down at the pool, we signed up for a few library events and linger longer after the event is finished, reading lots of fun books, that aren’t always â€Å"educational†. When staying indoors the kids choose to listen to audio books while working on LEGO creations or crafts. No guidance from me at all, since I choose to get lost in fictional books as well. Through the school year we might have days of doing school at a play park or nature park (a friend even takes her kids to the beach), in order to enjoy the cooler weather and the wonderful nature around us. Some of these last summers we hosted international students that come to improve on their English - it’s a wonderful time of getting to know someone while sharing simple things about living in USA, and exploring the wild life of Florida. Log in or register to post comments Ahh! Those hot, steamy days Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun29 Ahh! Those hot, steamy days of Florida. I know them well as I also live in Florida. You listed some great indoor activities to do in the comfort of A/C. Our family also likes to escape to the pool or, even better, the beach. That ocean breeze feels great in the lungs! And what a great way to introduce students to English and your children to other cultures. My son is currently studying Russian in Urkaine and living with a Russian-only speaking family. He is so grateful to them for their support, as I know your own guests must be. Log in or register to post comments Love the less hectic days of Summer Permalink By PFLEIDERER6@YAH...Jun29 Summer....We wait for months to enjoy the ease of shorts and flip flops and gladly leave behind the coats, gloves, hats, scarves, boots, and layers! Not to mention abandoning the alarm clock and school assignments. We love sleeping in, riding bikes on our county road, drinking sun tea, eating ice cream, gardening (well, some of us love the fruits of the garden - not so much the work), cooking on the grill, and attending picnics and family reunions. My favorite summer activity would be when we all go outside barefoot in the late evenings after the sun has gone down and gaze at the stars in the cooler night air. Log in or register to post comments What a wonderful way to Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun29 What a wonderful way to experience the cosmos--being barefoot in the grass. Sounds heavenly! Log in or register to post comments Board games and books! Permalink By valdiviesok1Jun29 We just moved a few hundred miles away, so Im putting off finishing this school year while I take the summer to unpack. Ive enjoyed seeing board games out more often. My ten-year-old organized the game closet, putting the boring games on the top shelf. Now I know what games we need to play as a family!! My older kids are finally reading my old favorite books that they ignored when I previously offered them! We all love to read, but I especially enjoy being able to share books with each other. We usually read a book aloud together, so hopefully we can resume that next week! Usually the kids complain that it is uninteresting, until we read about three days worth. Then they dont want me to stop! My thirteen-year-old and I both enjoy reading ebooks. I think we both enjoy the paper books more, but especially with moving, ebooks have been an easy way to keep reading. Log in or register to post comments Board games and books sound Permalink By Jennifer MauserJun30 Board games and books sound like a great way to spend time together. It will be fun to enjoy those activities in your new home! Log in or register to post comments The need to remember Permalink By cherrymadrilejoJul01 My daughter just turned 4 and we are doing preschool with IEW PAL Reading. Looking at homeschool curriculum reviews seemed to be one of my hobbies since we start this homeschooling journey and there’s always this temptation to add more to what my child needs to do. I always try to remember that she is just 4 and she does not have to do a lot to learn. Log in or register to post comments PAL is a great program to use Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul01 PAL is a great program to use with your child. One of my favorite features of it is that it incorporates lots of game play. You are so right to remember that she is young and to enjoy those fleeting moments with her. Soon enough she will be grown. I still marvel at how quickly it happened to my own daughter, who is now in her senior year of high school. Log in or register to post comments Forest adventures Permalink By ruthloveschrisJul01 Great article! Children thrive on being outside and free to use their minds to think! My kids enjoy playing in the small area of forest on our property. I let them have shovels and rakes and oh boy, they do love that. Recently I let them build a fire pit and light a small fire. They set the hammock up between 2 trees nearby. I am pretty sure I didnt see them for at least 5 hours. Days spent in the woods or on the beach make for the best memories and the kids sleep great at night. Log in or register to post comments Thank you so much! I love Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul01 Thank you so much! I love that your children have the opportunity to explore forest right on their own property. And you are so right. The kids tend to sleep very well after a day of fun spent outdoors! Log in or register to post comments Photography, kayaking, and more Permalink By JandAJul01 Photographing nature, whether its in our backyard, in the forest, at the lake, on a trail, in the National Parks, or elsewhere, is a winner at our house! Well be visiting Washington State and Canada later this summer, enjoying Deception Pass State Park and North Cascades National Park. Well do some hiking, kayaking, boating, and more. Log in or register to post comments All of that sounds wonderful! Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul02 All of that sounds wonderful! And photography is a great way to capture and hold onto those memories! Log in or register to post comments CAMPING Permalink By mproth7@comcast.netJul01 Our family absolutely loves to camp every summer. As soon as we ask the question of where to go for vacation, our children unanimously reply that they want to spend a week at Camp Susque, a Christian camp north of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. We have the opportunity to let our large garden sit while we hike, swim, canoe, sit around a camp fire, or nap in a hammock, as well as hear Gods Word preached. We always come home refreshed spiritually and physically! Log in or register to post comments Summer camp is an especially Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul02 Summer camp is an especially fun way to save summer's sweetness. I love that your entire family enjoys attending. It sounds like a super fun camp! Log in or register to post comments The vocabulary of birds Permalink By thepeetzJul03 Needed pastor and wife retreat at the end of February. One day as I sat outside, I took in the quiet, the stillness which contained a very natural Symphony. I begin to notice (and note!) the distinct bird sounds. As I started a mental catalog of soundbites, I counted them in order to guess the number of birds. Then I couldnt keep track, stopped counting after about 12 maybe (I dont remember) I also began to write down the names of bird sounds – I could think of at least ten. My mind began to consider the variety of sounds, the number of sounds! The Lord has so much to say, He must have a variety of ways to say it. Just the other night, I was outside at dusk. Again, I began to take note of the bird sounds, reveling in the natural music. My children came out a few minutes later and we saw the first star for the evening appear. These moments were in the midst of making ministry phone calls and after dinner dishes. I have tried to cultivate awareness of these stop and smell the roses moments so as to have them woven into the fabric of my time on earth as well as integrating larger patches like retreats. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Thank you for another reminder of the goodness and necessity of this kind of leisure, rest, or boredom and its value. Log in or register to post comments The music of nature is a Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul06 The music of nature is a beautiful way to connect and grow still. This morning as I drove out in my dad’s MG convertible, I paid extra attention to the birdsong around me. Thank you for reminding me to pause and listen! Log in or register to post comments Guessing Love Messages Underwater! Permalink By aubiemom3angelsJul03 I love splashing around in the pool with my little guy. It’s special when we go under water and say phrases for the other one to guess. It’s a great opportunity for me to tell him how awesome I think he is! Log in or register to post comments What a fun and cool way to Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul06 What a fun and cool way to connect. Pooltime is a fabulous way to play in the summer! Log in or register to post comments Great article! Permalink By cedavidJul04 Thank you for this! I needed the reminder since my children have recently complained of being bored. I also just listened to Mr. Pudewas talk Nature Deficit Disorder. So many good things to be reminded about. We are trying to spend as much time outside bike riding and swimming as we can. Log in or register to post comments I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I Permalink By Jennifer MauserJul06 I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I need the reminder as well! Glad you’re enjoying the pool and biking. Those are great ways to combat boredom! Log in or register to post comments