Children grow up fast. Time goes by so quickly that it seems as if you teach your child how to ride a bike in the morning and to drive a car in the afternoon. That might be an exaggeration, but ask any parent with grown children if the time when his or her kids were young went slow or fast – most will comment with a faraway look in the eye, “it went by too quickly.” For this reason, plan to make some special memories with your elementary age child this spring and summer. Remember, it’s the moments you spend with your child, not at work, that matter. Check out these suggested ways to make memories to last a life time.
Learn a Skill Together
Children at this age will enjoy working with you to master a new skill. Tackle something that you both want to learn, such as surfing, skating, rope climbing … even knitting. It doesn’t matter what you learn to do, it just matters that you tackle the process together. I had a friend who had always wanted to ride horses. When her youngest reached third grade, they traveled to the local stable and took riding lessons together. Now this same friend owns three horses, and she rides regularly with her now grown daughter.
Laugh Together
Sounds silly, right? But you should never underestimate the power of humor. When you and your child laugh together, good feelings wash over your bodies. You feel happy to just be sharing time. Watch funny movies, read jokes, act silly, and embrace embarrassing situations. If you laugh so hard your sides ache, you have just created a memory that will last a long time.
Explore Together
My kids loved the way I tackled vacations. Instead of planning every detail, I would only plan the destination and the lodging, but not the actual activities. I would always say, “the adventures will find us as we explore.” And did they ever! Once while on a vacation to Texas, something told me to turn into the long drive of a working ranch. We were amazed at what we found! Gorgeous valley views, an exquisite restaurant, and a glorious waterfall. My kids still talk about how the most exciting sites we saw were the ones that surprised us as we set out exploring a portion of our great country.
Develop Rituals Together
Rituals in families help to form strong bonds. It doesn’t matter if they are religious rituals or any other type of ritual. If you and your children repeat certain things on a yearly basis, you will be setting yourself up for a lifetime of enjoyment together. A perfect example is my family’s plan to visit a major league ball park on every vacation. We also follow the rituals of our faith. Again, it doesn’t matter what type of ritual you perform; it just has to be repeated on a regular basis. Make memories at Easter, at Passover, or even at the family cabin!
Sometimes, memory making happens in strange ways…long road trips as a family, being silly at the oddest moments, even kids fighting in the car—add in a little love and shake and you have the perfect recipe for memory making!