What’s on your summer checklist? I’m looking forward to a lazy summer weekend with nothing planned but listening to the ice cream truck. Here are 10 relaxing things me and the boys are looking forward to.
1. Be honest, just knock. “Tell me, what are you going to do with your one and only precious life?” wrote the poet Mary Oliver. And she wasn’t talking about her hard work. She described her pleasure in observing grasshoppers in the grass. So take a moment to observe grasshoppers, slowly eat ice cream, or spot constellations in the night sky (or ceiling). It is a precious creature in the wild.
2. Take a shower in the dark. The other day I woke up early in the morning and wasn’t ready for the bright light. So when I entered the shower in the dark, I felt spa-like light and calm. Maybe next time I’ll light a candle.
3. Play board games, but keep them interesting. Nine-year-old Anton loves the thrill of gambling, so we place a bet. dog bingo 50 cents each round. It makes me laugh how much we invest.Or predict your future by playing MASH
4. Watch a lot of TV and don’t worry. Speaking of summer, it’s about being able to take the accelerator off. May I suggest Frazier? Or any of these great series.
5. Send your friend a message of sincere compliments. Prompt: How beautiful they are, what they teach you, why you enjoy being with them, the exact moment you know you can be friends…
6. Try on a new nail polish. Every summer, like clockwork, my sister asks me for nail color recommendations. As we head into 2023, my strong answer is: sheer blush.
7. Sit in a cafe and soak up the conversation. A reader named Alicia once described her own simple pleasures as “listening to pleasant chatter of strangers on public transport, beauty salons, etc.” It’s like observing people, but juicy.
8. Make orange juice popsicleLike we grew up in the Midwest, or makes the perfect pre-dinner snack.
9. Just add water. This great parenting advice applies to adults too. Jump in pools, go through car washes, walk in the ocean, drink ice water with cucumbers and run through sprinklers. (I’m just curious quicklywhich is like the Airbnb of the pool — has anyone tried it?)
10. Make a list of specific personal joys. I especially liked Leighton’s answer when readers shared their hobbies. “I’ve always had a hard time remembering what I enjoy doing, so I started making a list titled ‘What I Do for My Hobbies.'” I always felt like I was a robot, but in the end I was just having a nervous breakdown! ” I love the concept of generating ideas for my future self.
What’s on your summer checklist? And here’s the best parenting advice I’ve ever gotten.
PS I tried slow parenting and was surprised by parenting in Northern Ireland, France and Japan. Plus, past summer ideas can be found here and here.
(top photo by Nicky Sebastiandog pictures: Jenny Rosenstrach. )
