Planned Spontaneity – Spontaneously Planned

(This post was written by Gina McClain, Director of Children’s Ministries)

There is so much about summer that screams “Spontaneity!”  I like the idea of being spontaneous, but reality is… we’re so busy spontaneous opportunities are often passed by in my home.  Planning takes precedence. 

Today I was reminded that family time in the summer must be intentionally planned.  Why?  Because there are so many times throughout the week that my kids ask to do things.  More times than not, the answer is “no”.  Not because we don’t want to have fun with our kids, but because we’ve already made plans for that time.  Reading an article this morning, here is a statement that stopped me in my tracks…

“Is it possible that they (kids) heard ‘no’ so often when they were younger that they no longer ask?  Do children know that doing something with mom or dad on Saturday morning is an option?  Too often family members get in ruts around their own interests because doing things together as a family wasn’t an option.”

Ouch!!

I want to teach my kids (through my example) that family time is important.  Although I think we do a good job of spending time together, those plans tend to be centered around the daily activities of life.  I want to be a little more spontaneous this summer.

So, how do I fix this?  Well, Kyle and I need to plan for some “spontaneity days”.  Days we know we will spend time together yet are unplanned.  Instead we’ll allow the kids to plan the activities of the day.  This may amount to only a handful of days throughout the entire summer.  However, it could prove to be the most memorable days for our kids. 

Remember that one of our goals as parents is to Create a Rhythm by tapping into the power of quality moments together, and building a sense of purpose through our everyday experiences.   How can you create a rhythm of family fun this summer?