{"id":39811,"date":"2013-05-23T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2013-05-23T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=39811"},"modified":"2013-05-23T07:52:11","modified_gmt":"2013-05-23T12:52:11","slug":"5-secrets-of-a-happy-summer-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/05\/5-secrets-of-a-happy-summer-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Secrets of a Happy Summer at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Central Texas is amazing place to live. I’ve been here for 10 years and never desire to live elsewhere… unless of course it’s summertime…..when (as a visiting friend once described to me) we feel as though we are “being roasted alive in front of an open barbecue pit.” Ouch. I guess we do feel a bit like rotisserie chickens in the summer, and that makes it tough to get out with small children except for trips to places with a generous offering of air conditioning or a promise of cool water. Which means we are indoors. A lot. With small kids, and possibly going insane.<\/p>\n

But if you are not planning to travel much or participate in a bunch of summer camps, then no sweat<\/em>. Here are some no-stress ideas from our home to yours that might keep you panic-free in the summer afternoons. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

1) \u00a0Music.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You wouldn’t live on a deserted island and not bring potable water, right? So don’t try to live through the doldrums of summer without music! \u00a0Even with howls and squabbles in the background, a little Nina Simone ambience can make you feel like you’re in a quiet cafe somewhere. \u00a0We are big fans of Pandora<\/a>. For family music (of the non-Barney variety) we like the Dan Zanes, the Beatles and Jack Johnson stations, for starters. We love the All Sons and Daughters station for praise and worship. Music sets the stage for the atmosphere of your day. Let your children hear you sing, because it’s beautiful to them! And you never know when an impromptu dance party will break out.<\/p>\n

2) Reading.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reading is the best way to travel when you can’t go anywhere geographically. Work on that book list you have in your mind, or write down those book recommendations you’ve been given and challenge yourself to read a few. Enroll the children in the summer library book clubs and declare a reading time each day. Encourage readers to find a nook in the house when they’re older, or maybe curl up on the couch with you if they’re younger. Let the kids see you reading, and sometimes if you bring your book or reading device to where they are playing, they’ll actually play much more happily. We enjoy family read alouds (in fact my husband and I often fight over who’s turn it is to read each night). Here is my growing list of\u00a0favorite titles<\/a>\u00a0to inspire imagination if you are looking for ideas!<\/p>\n

3) Unplug.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fight the urge to cave into the ceaseless requests. We all know our children’s personalities begin to evaporate once they get too far into the computer game zone. For ages 5 and up, let them earn screen time through chores or something structured of your choosing to keep the work\/play balance in tact. Don’t be afraid to assert that they find something else to do. \u00a0Their creativity\u00a0will<\/i>\u00a0flourish! Keep a list of\u00a0alternative ideas<\/a>\u00a0for kids who need something more specific than “go play.” Try to align screen time up with a Mama rest time!<\/p>\n

4) Get on the Floor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not to scrub the tile grout, but just to see what happens when you unplug, too. You will notice quickly that people will gather around you, even the older ones who are “too cool.” \ud83d\ude09 \u00a0They might be in need of some tickles or cuddles, or might want to play cards or a board game. Often times you can get them started like this and hop up again to go make that phone call or that iced coffee you’ve been dreaming about since breakfast.<\/p>\n

5) Prepare the Environment, then Let Go.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Put a little forethought into a few things that will keep those minds curious and make them available for the kids.\u00a0Here are some<\/a>\u00a0I hope to make available in our home. Puzzles, manipulatives, play doh, water colors, legos – the things we don’t always have time to do during the school year. Make things accessible, demonstrate for them how they should be taken care of and put away while in use\/when done, and then let them have the freedom to choose. \u00a0Because of the heat, we plan any outings for the morning and we spend the afternoon in hibernation, and this is usually our time to for these things. Try to let go of standards and let them make pancakes for lunch and keep a tent pitched in their room – the days are long but the year are short!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are busy seasons of our lives with children and relaxed seasons. Enjoy the blessings of the sweet bonds your family will forge during summertime, and don’t feel pressured to be busy.<\/p>\n

And please \u00a0let us know… what are \u00a0your favorite secrets of a happy summer?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1   Central Texas is amazing place to live. I’ve been here for 10 years and never desire to live elsewhere… unless of course it’s summertime…..when (as a visiting friend once described to me) we feel as though we… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[163,127,2890,514,1712],"class_list":["post-39811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","tag-books","tag-children","tag-family","tag-music","tag-summer-parenting-education","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39967,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/06\/summer-is-for-living-enjoying-not-just-surviving-the-season-with-your-kids\/","url_meta":{"origin":39811,"position":0},"title":"Summer Is For Living: Enjoying (not just surviving) the Season with Your Kids","author":"Kathryn Whitaker","date":"June 4, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Whether your children go to school, stay at home or do a combination of the two, there is no doubt that summer brings a new schedule to the house. 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Alongside being a day where we remember those who've given their lives for our country, and a day where families and friends gather to celebrate at the lake, at the parks, etc, it's also a day that signals the end\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Landscape-photography.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Landscape-photography.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Landscape-photography.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Landscape-photography.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":427293,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/06\/summer-for-your-soul\/","url_meta":{"origin":39811,"position":3},"title":"Summer for your Soul","author":"Rachel","date":"June 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 In the Sunday homily yesterday, the priest\u00a0preached about the relationship between the body and the soul, taking this line of scripture from the Gospel reading as a starting place: \"And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/blue-2309309__340.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/blue-2309309__340.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/blue-2309309__340.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":147976,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/im-restless-and-learning-to-rest-in-the-heart-of-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":39811,"position":4},"title":"I’m Restless and Learning to Rest in the Heart of Jesus","author":"William Rooney","date":"September 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In the past few weeks of my seminary life, I have experienced again what has become a relatively common experience \u2013 I\u2019ve moved 5 times in the past 2 years \u2013 of packing all my stuff into a car and driving to a new place and moving into a new\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"St. Mary's Seminary","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/chapel_exterior-253x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":39691,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/05\/ten-beautiful-books-for-summer-reading-for-all-ages\/","url_meta":{"origin":39811,"position":5},"title":"Ten Beautiful Books For Summer Reading {for all ages}","author":"Lauren Gulde","date":"May 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This isn't a list of THE ten books you should read, but just ten of the thousands of books you should read. 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