The Opposite Bucket Listing Summer: Helping Kids Grow Inwards Gratitude {With Costless Printable}

I realized the other twenty-four hours that I cause got most 10 summers left amongst my oldest boy earlier he'll live off on his ain (or at to the lowest degree partially). Ack! That actually puts things inwards perspective.

On the other hand, I exercise non wishing to experience pressured to create 10 magical summers filled amongst awe as well as wonder. I only wishing us to savor the fourth dimension nosotros cause got together. As a stay-at-home mom, I cause got the luxury to have the 1 affair that tin never live replaced--TIME.

So how exercise you lot residual the wishing to brand summers fun, but not overscheduled, overpressured as well as overdone?

The Value of Boredom

I cause got written earlier most the value I run across inwards kids experiencing boredom. Summer is prime number fourth dimension for boredom. We cause got loads of gratuitous time, few scheduled activities as well as the weather condition is overnice outside. I wishing to allow my sons fourth dimension to only BE. Just to hang closed to the house, tinker inwards the yard, dig inwards the garden or construct something out of a cardboard box.

Related reading: Gift Guide for Raising Kind Kids

Getting them past the uncomfortable feeling of boredom is oft a struggle. There is normally whining; mayhap some begging for a novel majority or toy. I cause got to hollo upwards to force through that feeling as well as allow them run it out on their own.

However, this feeling bears downwardly on me too. I sometimes experience bored as well as wishing to accept them to exercise every activeness or military camp that's available. Slow down, mama, I cause got to state myself.

We oft experience the ask to entertain, direct, organize as well as otherwise "enrich" our kids' lives.

This twelvemonth I actually wishing to focus on nurturing a sense of contentment...in my sons as well as myself. Compared to much of the world, nosotros alive inwards such luxury. We cause got healthy, beautiful food, comfortable homes, as well as an almost endless assortment of amusement options.

Related reading: Surprisingly Helpful Calming Activities for Super-Active Kids

Contentment Over Consumption

In such a culture, consumption has acquire a lifestyle. I experience this type of lifestyle breeds ungratefulness and that is 1 affair I exercise non wishing my kids to absorb from culture. As this author points out, "If your encephalon is focused on what you lot don't have, hence you'll live unhappy." At some basic level, nosotros all wishing our kids to live happy. I'm hoping that focusing on gratitude instead of consumption volition assist them railroad train a sense of deeper happiness that is long-lasting as well as meaningful.

I wishing my boys as well as myself to experience similar it's only ENOUGH. It's plenty to only savor nature or a expert book. It's plenty to only cash inwards one's chips for a forenoon walk as well as honour a novel põrnikas that nosotros haven't seen before.

Many summertime posts are filled amongst ideas for novel as well as exciting places to run across or things to do. All these things that nosotros "must" exercise earlier summertime is over. This year, inwards lieu of the summertime "bucket list" I've decided to pose together something different.

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Based on an article I read that involved a reverse bucket list, this twelvemonth I'm going to assist my boys create a contrary summertime bucket list. The thought is to listing activities that nosotros did inwards the past times that brought us joy as well as contentment. I'm hoping only the conversation itself volition inspire a sense of gratitude. Then, of course, if nosotros experience similar doing these things again, that's great.


Here are a few things nosotros came upwards amongst on our reverse summertime bucket list:


1. played inwards the sprinklers until nosotros got equally good mutual frigidity as well as had to come upwards inside

2. had a lemonade stand

3. went for a ride on paddle boats

4. went to a national commons (or 2)

5. went to trouble solid unit of measurement camp

6. went camping

7. went to see a farm as well as feed the animals

8. played board games or carte du jour games (we LOVE this one)

9. learned chess





10. swimming amongst friends

11. establish a novel commons as well as climbed a cool tree

12. went to grandma/grandpa camp

13. had an emmet farm, tadpoles, or roly-poly farm



14. plenty of H2O gun fights

15. wandered closed to a library or bookstore

16. went roller skating

17. roasted marshmallows past times the campfire

18. went to run across a kids painting on a hot afternoon

19. went to the farmer's market

20. listened to music at an outdoor concert

21. went for a cool hike amongst a corking view

22. establish an awesome playground

23. went for a bike ride closed to the neighborhood (costumes make it awesome!)

Want to create your ain Reverse Summer Bucket List amongst your kids? Foster a sense of contentment as well as gratitude to commencement the summertime off right.