As you wind down from summer activities and prepare for the beginning of the school year, there is still time for a few more adventures.  Maybe you are tapped out, and it is time to rest.  Maybe you are still thirsting for something new.  Whatever the case, please consider these three questions to see if there is room for more! 

Have you connected with nature?    Nicolette Sowder of Wilder Child recently wrote, “It's good to remember that this generation of children is literally being tested within environments and situations that no human has ever seen or experienced before.  In the middle of negotiating and evolving within these unprecedented advancements, our children need a place to ground into their ancestral wisdom. They need a place of human and non-human remembrance - they need Mother Nature.” 

In his ground-breaking 2008 book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv wrote about how very vital that connection with nature is for both parents and children.  He said that many children today are increasingly disconnected from nature.  Not only do children need that connection, but Louv says that nature needs our children, the next stewards of Earth.

Have you hiked, rafted on the Rio Grande, strolled through an arroyo with your family?  Connecting with nature can also include planting vegetables, visiting a botanical garden, and shopping at a farmer’s market.  Plant a few seeds!  

Have you done something as a family team this summer?  Often, our children are engaged in summer activities as a part of teams with other children, which is terrific.  Consider doing something as a family team in these waning days before school begins.  It could be a home improvement project, that river rafting trip, attending a pottery class together, assembling a scrapbook about your summer, or creating an art project.  

Communal projects that contribute to the greater good also teach kids how capable they are.  Other ideas include building your family vegetable garden, organizing the garage, and constructing bird houses.  One summer, our family built a brick patio in our backyard.  Each time we sat out there over the years, I was fondly reminded that we did it together. 

Have you checked in with each family member to see if anything is missing from what they wanted over the summer?  It is a good time to sit down together and hear what everyone enjoyed, didn’t enjoy, and still wishes for.  Possibly everyone’s wish list was satisfied.  Maybe someone wants to make ice cream one last time.  Checking in gives everyone the opportunity to share about their experiences, and you get to see what is most fulfilling for each of your children. 

Creating that space opens the discussion to anything that may be on their minds about school starting, too.  A good question to ask is, “What are your hopes and fears about school this year?”  This can be a great beginning to the transition back into school. 

I hope that your summer was incredibly fulfilling!