Saturday, July 26, 2025

Crazy Cool Family: Here Comes Summer!

What would you do if your work stopped for 80 to 90 days? All your routines and responsibilities came to a halt, and you were given time. How would you want to fill that time? 

Sounds great, right? Well, welcome to summer vacation! For our kids, their normal “work” stops, and they are given a window of time where their responsibilities shift and normal routines stop. 

What are you, as the parent, going to do to make the most of this time for your kids?

Think back to your summers. What was the time filled with? Did you spend countless hours with your friends getting into mischief? Did your parents focus on developing your character through work? Did you read? Watch movies? Go to waterparks or pools? Or was it just boring? 

Now bring your focus back to today. What do you want to take from your summers and give to your kids? And what do you want to be different for them?

Here are some suggestions for you as you shape your family summer:

Be Intentional

Proverbs 29:18 says, “For lack of vision, the people perish.” I like to flip that verse and say, “Where there is vision, the people flourish.” Those people are your kids!

Intention is important in summer. Intention does not mean planning every second of summer. One great benefit of summer is a more relaxed atmosphere which can help further relationships and experiences. 

But you are the architect of summers for your family. Be intentional so you can look back on your summer and see some accomplishments along with the fun. Quick tip: Invite your kids to participate in the planning!

Be Relational

Summer is the time when our kids’ normal work stops. What if we filled that time with connecting with them?

What if one of your goals this summer was to be available and present for your kids? What do you think would happen to your relationships with them if you were available and present for 10 to 12 weeks? Do you think your relationship would be improved by the end of the summer? We think so!

Summer is a great time just to talk with no agenda. No to do list, no homework requirements, no sports activities. Just process the last school year and talk about what is coming up next year. Who their friends are. What their dreams are. What their struggles are. Stuff like that.

Be Restful

What refuels you? What refuels each of your kids? Do you know? Well, summer is a great time to find out.

Maybe it is sleep in our sleep-deprived world. Maybe it is a walk or a trip to the park. Maybe it’s a movie or reading a book. Maybe it’s a creative project. 

Think about what refuels each of your kids and put something like that into your intentionality this summer.

Be Joyful

Summer is fun! Right?

Don’t be the parent who can’t wait for summer to be over so you can put your kids back in school. Or if you are, don’t show it.

I remember my kids being so excited about the beginning of summer vacation. Me, not so much. Even though their routine changed, mine didn’t. Unlike the school year, it would be 10 p.m. and they would be wanting to start a movie. No one else in the family had to get up in the morning but me.

But I realized this would be the only summer when this daughter was six, when this son was three. I could either mope about it or I could embrace it with joy and a plan. The latter way was so much better. It required more energy, but it was worth it!

I think the best thing to say in conclusion is to see summer through the eyes of your children. Actually, it’s great parenting advice overall but particularly in summer. May you create a rewarding summer of fun and blessing for your family!

Want more info? We have a great resource we just launched called “A Deep Dive into Summer.” We expand on all these topics. Order at crazycoolfamily.com.

Don & Suzanne Manning
Don & Suzanne Manninghttps://www.crazycoolfamily.com/
Don & Suzanne Manning of Argyle have 30+ years’ experience parenting 7 kids. Their mission is to inspire and equip you to build your best family. Learn more at crazycoolfamily.com.

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