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President's Letter
August 2011
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Summer always seems so daunting on the front end, doesn't it? It's always about spring break time that I start booking up the summer calendar. I admit it ... I am totally guilty of being a mom that over schedules. I make a resolution at the end of every summer that I'm going to scale back the amount of activities that we do. Sure enough ... I always end up missing a few events because it just gets to be too much. I forget that in addition to what we schedule, there are always out of town guests (we usually have at least three families each summer), impromptu BBQ's, block gatherings, swimming pools and summer birthday parties. But come on ... the summer offerings that are out there for kids these days are just too good to pass up! Musical Theatre, woodworking class, swim, dive and tennis lessons, archery class, Tae Kwon Do, zoo camp, soccer camp, Korean culture camp and so goes the list. Okay let me get a reality check ... whose wish list is this ... theirs or mine? Check, check ... it's me, yes me, driving the summer blur!
There is a ton of pressure on parents these days to expose their children to as much as they can, at as early age as they can. Do you feel it too? "If little Johnny isn't on a travel soccer team by age 8, he'll never get that "all paid" college scholarship much less make the Olympic team!" "If little Mary isn't in the gifted program by 3rd grade ... well you'd better start looking for a trade school!" The expectations on our children to perform before they've even lost their first tooth is ridiculous. I say each year that I'm not going to buy into it, but before the first summer Slurpy is sucked down ... I'm sucked in too. I think one of our next edition advice questions should be how our member families set up balance for their families. I know one parent (ahem ahem - that would be me) who could use this advice.
I arrived at this newsletter topic in the last two weeks when it came time to go to our culture camp (Korean), Camp Pride. I was relieved, as were our boys, that this was our sole activity for the week. I mean REALLY, REALLY relieved. We go to camp and we go home! Wow ... revolutionary! As I've written in previous columns, this week is something that we look forward to all year. It's about reconnecting and rediscovering friends, culture and family. I love this week and the relaxed feeling that we come home with.
So in an effort to reduce the amount of activities that remains in our summer, I've taken a few things OFF the calendar. Here's what happened:
Week One, day one: all systems go! We are loving it!
Week one, day two: our oldest son says, "I'm bored". I respond, "That's why you have a brother ... go play with him".
Week one, day three: "Boys there's a new sheriff in town and you're now limited to one hour electronic time" They respond, "What! Now we have nothing to do!". I respond, "This is called a book - spelled B-O-O-K. This activity can fill an afternoon".
Week one, day four: "Mom, we've knocked on the neighbor's door. Nobody's home. We have nothing to do.". "Here's a math worksheet or if you can stand the heat ... the van could be cleaned up".
Week one, day five: The boys ask "When does school start?". I respond, "Ya baby!"
I must admit that in the first week of 'unscheduled' time, the whining is becoming a bit much. But at least we gave the old fashioned summer schedule a try; like it was when I was young and had to figure out how to make my own fun. Did I just say that? Oh my ... I think I just heard my mother speaking!
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