the more of less
written by jessica braff
Hello friends! Another month has come and gone… I don’t know about you, but this summer is flying by! For us this has turned into a really sweet summer— not because we did a big extravagant thing or because we have jam packed our schedules. Rather it's because I made a small shift in my mindset. It was subtle, but I have shifted to less “to do lists”, and in their place we have put family memory-making. You see, my natural bent is towards productivity and efficiency. When you add that to being a homebody it is very easy for me to fill my time with what I “need to do” while I miss the small things. I had in my mind that meaningful experiences needed to be “big” and needed to happen when all the things were done. Yes, there are still things that need to get done and myriad responsibilities for sure. However, I’ve realized I was missing opportunities with my kids to build relationships.
I want to share some of our highlights— maybe to give you a few ideas if you struggle thinking of fun things to do or get lost in your to-dos like me. First, we have taken full advantage of our local library! We have gone weekly for story time, then played games and discovered so many fun new books! This has become a highlight for my boys, and it's free ya’ll! I love the time we have all spent reading— sometimes with read-alouds, sometimes with each of us cuddled on the couch with our books being together. One night Beau asked me if we could share cuvvies (the loving name for blankets in our house) and read. I had a sink full of dishes to clean, but I put that aside for 30 min and snuggled my boy while we both read. It was the best decision ever!! The dishes still got done later while making time for him was a precious memory for both of us!
We have also been swimming or to our local pool/waterpark with a summer membership almost daily. It has been so fun for all of us! I have spent time watching their cute games (recently pretending to be in the video game “super smash brothers” with each of them picking a character and pretend-fighting (remember, “boy mom”). Has my house gone a little longer between vacuuming? Yes , but the trade off is more special moments with them. Working to get my home organized when we moved in has really helped lessen the time required to keep it up, which is an added blessing while I’m learning how to enjoy small things that we all will remember far more fondly than we do my clean floors.
Another key change I’ve made has been to teach and do basic life skills together. I have been teaching my 7 year old how to dust, vacuum, help cook lunches, cut fruits and veggies (the plastic kids’ knife set from amazon is amazing!) and fold laundry. Yes these are chores, but at this age and stage doing this together and taking the time to go through it step by step is fun! The look of pride and accomplishment when Beau has tackled a new skill and pushed through to finish has been priceless. Could I have done it neater and faster myself? Yes. But taking the time to do it together is memory-building.
We have done watercolor painting, playdough, movie picnics and made homemade pizzas. We have stopped at Sonic for happy hour lemonades and spent time with friends. We have gone bowling a couple of times and listened to books on tape in the car. We got a membership to our childrens’ history and science museum and have gotten to learn and play together. And you know what?? All the “things” have still gotten done while we have also made so many fun memories with our kids! So my encouragement— don’t miss the small things friends! Find out what is available in your local community! If you don’t know, ask others. I have learned of so many things we have done or want to do (when it isn’t 1 million degrees out thank you Texas summer) from others who are so good at finding these things! This summer I have cherished memories and new habits that are building relationships with lifelong impact in my home. They haven't all been big, but I have reprioritized and it has made the small things precious. Sometimes we just need a tiny shift— a little “less” in one area to find all the “more”… It’s a really good trade!!
You’ve got this friends!
-Jessica