We don’t know about you, but we can’t believe summer is almost here. The prospect of endless summer days stretching ahead filled with sunshine, blue skies and lazy days is irresistible. And then, before you know it, it’s over. So, to make sure you enjoy every minute of your break, and for your kids to get as much as they can out of their holiday, we are advocating mindfulness this summer!
Our lives, as well as our kids’ lives during the school year are packed full of work, activities, social events, doctor’s appointments, sports events and somehow, so much more. By the time summer comes around, everyone is pretty much exhausted and hanging on by a thread. But to really enjoy yourselves during the summer, you have to be in the moment.
You have probably heard it all before, and usually associate mindfulness more with your busy life and not while you are on holiday, but practicing mindfulness during your summer can help you and your kids be that much more refreshed come September, and enjoy your summer so much more.
Mindfulness will make sure that by the time summer is over, you aren’t dreading coming back to your routine, you are rested and ready for the challenges ahead, and you have gotten everything you can out of your break.
So, what to do? We looked and asked around, and these were some of our favourite exercises to do with your kids.
- A good sniff – take advantage of the fruits of summer by getting your kids to close their eyes and take a good long sniff of the fruits, before taking a good bite and actually chewing and enjoying the fruit as opposed to gulping it down!
- Floating – there is something very calming about floating around on your back in the pool and just looking up at the sky. Noises are muted and the sensation of the water is just unbeatable. Encourage your kids to float in the water for a peaceful and serene moment.
- Trekking – if you are going for treks or long walks, encourage your kids to look around and name anything they haven’t seen before, like trees or flowers, or try to identify the noises around them. Make them aware of their surroundings.
- Breathing – do some breathing exercises together to start the day and add a good stretch to that and you and your body are good to go!
- Appreciate the moment – while most kids want to be out and about in the summer, it can be a good idea for them to not have anything to do and actually appreciate that at that moment, they have nothing to do – no schoolwork due, no activity to run to. Sometimes it’s fine to just sit back and enjoy the moment.
Have a great summer from Team Mumzworld!
