“Make Great Memories”

It is some of the best advice I have ever received.  I was 21 and visiting my aunt in Prague after I graduated university.  The Good and Great memories are your super-sauce.  They get you through tough and long days, or through times when things just don’t seem like they are going the way you thought they would or should.

These fun times and happy memories that we make when we are young and truly carefree – shared experiences with sisters, brothers, cousins and favourite Aunts; long, sleepless sleepovers; lazy exploration in streams and ponds; long car rides and drive-in movies; picnics, cycling, ice cream, great books – all come back to rescue our spirit in moments of need.

As parents, we only have 18 summers with each child – more if we are lucky.  That is only 18 summers out of a lifetime of 90 summers if you are lucky like some grandparents.  That is 20% of ALL our summers.  That 20% will be our ‘happy memory bank’ for the remainder of our days – so let us make time to make some great, happy and carefree memories!

Want to see how finite that number is?  Read this article ‘Your Life in Weeks’ from the blog ‘WaitButWhy?’

Bottom line

Information that will help me create your customized summer plan:

1. What does your family look like: names, ages, gender of parents and children
2. Where you are based
3. What are your plans for July and August 2016 – travel, vacation, camps, work – parents and children
4. Which family traditions would you like me to incorporate into the plan

Base line

Add a star to any box that is of interest, more stars to the more important:

• ____ Develop basic life skills (e.g. cooking, navigating, laundry)
• ____ Develop basic management skills (e.g. time, project)
• ____ Develop career building blocks (e.g. public speaking, accomplishments)
• ____ Exploration – new ideas, unconventional thinking
• ____ Make Great Memories

Make a list, check it twice:

Based on your number of stars, make a list of five activities you could create

1. Most stars and one possible activity (e.g. Life skills – make toast)  _________________________________________________
2. Next, and one possible activity  _________________________________________________
3. Next important and one possible activity  _________________________________________________
4. A just crazy off-the-top-no-real-way-we-would-do-that activity  _________________________________________________
5. One other idea.  _________________________________________________

Fun project – Vanilla or Chocolate

Want to discover which you care about the most?  Choices are simpler when you only have to choose between two.  So, having to choose between ONLY 2 things at one time, which would you choose? (TIP – go with your gut and work fast)

1 or 2  ____

1 or 3  ____    2 or 3_____

1 or 4  ____    2 or 4 _____    3 or 4 _____

1 or 5  ____    2 or 5 _____     3 or 5 _____    4 or 5 _____

What is your tally?

1. ____     2. ____    3.____    4. ____     5. ____

(Attribute – Sam Bennett http://theorganizedartistcompany.com/)

Now sit back while I create a fun activity for you to do.  We will address your main interest for sure, and incorporate the others as possible.  And if you have some great family traditions, send them my way, I will add them in!

‘}…{‘

Making the space to have engaging conversations:

} .. What was your favorite summer memory from growing up?

} .. What is the craziest thing you ever did as a teen?

Like this column? Subscribe to email alerts below to catch new posts.

INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH MATERIAL FOR THIS BLOG:

• My aunt, and all aunts out there who take the time to share their life wisdom
• Realizing how precious our time is especially when measured in weekends and summers:   Your life in Weeks by Tim Urban in the blog ‘Wait, but Why?’
• The prioritization exercise from Samantha Bennett, author ‘Get it Done’,  http://theorganizedartistcompany.com/

• If you know of any families with teens aged 13-17 who would like to make the summer of 2016 one with special memories to remember, please feel free to have them contact me.  ?