Learn Forward is focused on what matters most. What matters most in your summer? How can we faithfully invest in the five most important journeys: faith, worthiness, selfhood, belonging, and changemaking?
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I’m sure you have many ideas of how to fill your summer days and long evenings with recreation. The secret is to consider: re-creation!
Instead of recreation alone, what makes you feel re-created, restored, energized, capable, worthy, and ready for the next mountain to climb?
A Story
One summer day at dinner, we were enjoying our family time with our almost-adult son and the littlest one. That particular day, our son indulged in hours of video games down in the basement. We noticed his lethargy at dinner and queried gently, “Hey, how are you feeling?”
In order to Learn Forward, we must model, engage, and support active reflection.
As our 17-year old was thinking out loud about how much sleep he was getting and how stressed he was, he determined those weren’t the causes. All good. Then, we gently prodded, “How much sunshine and activity versus video games are you playing?”
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I strictly controlled screen time for the children in our home from ages 0-16. We still have powerful principles of togetherness that help all of us manage screens. Those principles are agreed to by everyone, adults and children. However, that’s a different blog for a different day.
On this most indulgent summer day, our 17-year old definitely came to the conclusion, that while video games are enjoyable for him and definitely provide an escape, they aren’t great at re-creating with fulfillment, energy, and vitality.
While I wish I could say, my son never played video games for hours at time again, I know he is learning that they don’t serve him as much as he once thought.
Quick caveat: if video games are an issue in your home, move from expectations to agreements with your children before summer begins. One hour of screen time per day , at the end of the day, is plenty! Or, consider a complete detox for July and August to enjoy the outdoors! It will only be rough for 3 days. You’ll get creative! It will be amazing!
A Sample
As an educator, I need the summer breaks to re-fuel. Here is my list of re-creation for my summer sabbatical:
- Read fiction. I want to get lost in a story, empathize with a character, and escape into a far away land or an intriguing narrative.
- Move. What better time to hike and bike!? Swim and paddle-board!? I will do some alone and some with family or friends.
- Be in nature. It is a spiritual experience to listen to the owl hoot, walk amongst the deer, and pause to watch the dance of the butterflies. I did all of this yesterday! It is sanctuary.
- Take on new habits. The Builder and I have our visioning weekend later this month! We will be discussing new dreams, values, and practices we want to include in our daily lives.
What we do daily will chart the course for our big ideas!
I am already committed to learning to eat more “cleanly” this summer. It will be an exploration of reading and recipes. I feel such a sense of efficacy, agency, resiliency, and energy when I can Learn Forward!
- Spend time with my tribe. Planning fun with those I love is the most important part of summer for me. We have a wonderful vacation planned as a family-of-five. As the big kids build their own lives and schedules, this is increasingly about the three of us. Today we’re picking raspberries at a u-pick. We love that summer always includes the extended families.
- Give back. It isn’t an accident that I plan my trips to Africa in the summer. While it works for my work schedule, it also works for my soul. I am filled to the brim of my heart with the experience!
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Now, look back at my sample list. Can you see faith, worthiness, selfhood, belonging, and changemaking? The themes are knit into my list for re-creation!
Re-creation is the sacred summer work for educators and parents!
We have a powerful tool planned to support you! This Friday, June 19, we are launching our Learn Forward App and we are leading with the summer series, “Sand, Sunnies, and Sandwiches” to inspire you to be on this re-creation journey with us!
Our messages delivered within the app will encourage you to enjoy your child more in the re-creation of summer!
Of course, I’ll be blogging along the way. I hope my journal provides little recipes for what works (or doesn’t in some cases).
As school closes, consider scheduling a family meeting to transform your child’s summer bucket list into a re-creation list for summer?! I invite you to be curious about how the list supports your child’s life skill development, academic growth, and love of literacy? Maybe it already has all of the ingredients for not only relaxing, but also growing. Can you see the Learn Forward themes in the list?
Summer is such a delighting time of year, filled with fun and freedom!
As teachers and parents, my prayer is that you are re-created…
For the sake of the children,
Karine[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]