Why I Chose a Less Scheduled Summer

By Cheryl Maguire

WhenI was in high school, I was involved in more activities than my kids are now. I participated in all different types of extracurriculars like piano lessons, the debate club and the tennis team. My summers were just as busy because I worked 12-hour shifts as a lifeguard. I admit it—I liked being so active.

My kids have inherited my enthusiasm for being busy. I have an 11-yearold and 14-year-old twins and their activity schedule keeps them and me busy. There are days when I spend hours either driving them around, waiting in the car or watching them at their latest sporting event.

I’ve never pressured my kids into signing up for their activities. They choose to participate in so many extracurriculars because they also like being active. Sometimes it’s too much. My youngest daughter was involved in so many different interests I told her she needed to cut some things from her schedule because she was exhausted and stressed out.

But summer is on the horizon. I recently read an article about the value of a self-directed summer that reinforced what I learned last year: less scheduling and more freedom to choose their day-to-day activities leads to kids who are less stressed. And that’s essentially the kind of summer we had last year.

In previous summers, my kids participated in a few different day camps that mimicked their school day routine without the after-school activities. They stayed busy, but not quite as busy as when school was in sessions. Things changed last summer. My twins had aged out of most of the youth camps they had previously attended, and their younger sister wasn’t interested in going to camp without them.

I panicked a little bit, wondering how I was going to keep them occupied for two months when we were all used to living a very scheduled lifestyle. While I did sign them up for a three-week camp, it only lasted four hours a day and was a big change from their usual highly scheduled routine. For the first time since my kids started attending summer camp as preschoolers, we didn’t have anything scheduled for most of the summer. I was certain they would drive me crazy telling me how bored they were.

But they didn’t. And I can honestly say last summer was one of the most relaxing summers I can remember since my kids were born.

No, my kids didn’t spend their days glued to their electronic devices. In fact, their screen usage was minimal and they rarely said, “I’m bored.”

Even better, I didn’t spend hours in my car, like an unpaid Uber driver, carting my kids around to their latest endeavors.

So what did they do? My teenage daughter planted a garden for the first time and grew strawberries, raspberries and watermelons. She encountered some setbacks, like birds eating the fruit and plants dying from not enough water, but she spent time learning how to improve her garden.

We also spent time going to the beach, hiking in a nearby national park and playing tennis. Not only was I less stressed, I saved money by not paying for expensive activities. And I feel like I got to know my kids better by spending quality time with them instead of being their chauffeur or sideline fan.

When my kids returned to school last fall, they picked right back up where they’d left off with all of their activities. It’s been a busy school year and I’m enjoying the unscheduled, relaxed, chauffeur-free days of summer.

Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and is the mother of twins and a daughter. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Parents Magazine, AARP, Healthline, Your Teen Magazine and many other publications. She is a professional member of ASJA. You can find her at Twitter @CherylMaguire05.

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CHILDREN’S HANDS-ON MUSEUM OF TUSCALOOSA

Summer is a great time to experience the Children’s Hands-On Museum of Tuscaloosa. Three floors of fun with museum exhibits, S.T.E.A.M. Saturdays, birthday parties, holiday events and the BEST field trips all await your child’s imagination.

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What kind of city builds a huge statue of a burly, bearded, bare-bottomed man to tower over its population? One that never forgets its roots.

Vulcan Park & Museum is home to Vulcan, the world’s largest cast iron statue, considered one of the most memorable works of civic art. Vulcan, The Original Iron Man, has overlooked The Magic City from atop Red Mountain since the 1930s, standing as the symbol of the city’s iron origins-and the ever-present spark of its indomitable spirit. Enjoy breathtaking

Summer & SCIENCE! June 10

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OWA is unlike anything the Gulf Coast has seen before - a ride-focused theme park, outdoor wave pool and the region’s largest indoor water park—covered by a convertible roof of 1,800 glass panels!

The tropical escape includes 75-foot-tall slides in a tropical atmosphere with more than 300 palm trees. Guests can take their pick from over 11 water slides—or just enjoy the ultimate tropical relaxation of floating along the lazy river.

Try a private party room, private cabanas, quick service restaurant and Libations, a tropicalthemed cocktail bar. Tropical vibes are everywhere, from the highest slide inside the water park to the surrounding the 23 theme park rides.

Next door to the water park is the all-new Big Water Bay wave pool featuring the Coastal Curl surf simulator.

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BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Birmingham Children’s Theatre, one of the nation’s oldest and largest professional theatre companies for young audiences, offers performing arts camps for children of all ages.

BCT’s Summer Camps are an excellent way for youth ages 4 to 18 to collaborate with other campers and learn skills that will benefit them in the classroom and beyond.

BCT’s Imagination Party offers oneweek half-day camps for children ages 4-7. Using a variety of titled themes such as springboards, campers explore storytelling, art, song, instrument play, and imagination. These classes promote confidence, self-esteem, and creative expression while working on active listening and sharing skills.

BCT’s Players Studio camps are twoweek, full-day immersive experiences in a wide variety of performance areas, such as scene study, musical theatre (acting, voice and movement), physical comedy, stage combat, and devised theatre. Designed for ages 8 and www.visitowa.com older, this camp offers the opportunity to engage with many facets of the theatrical process.

This summer, teen performers will have an opportunity to perform in the BCT Youth Production BIG FISH: HIGHSCHOOL EDITION. This monthlong session is for older students who want to take their theatre production and performance skills to the next level!

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The Cook Museum of Natural Science is a state-of-the-art natural science museum in downtown Decatur, AL. It provides a handson, immersive experience where kids can explore, interact with, and learn about nature. Families leave the Cook Museum feeling fulfilled by their time together and inspired by the things they saw and learned. It truly is an amazing experience for families and children of all ages!

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Family memories await to be made in Alpharetta, GA, a beautiful Southern town ripe for discovery and exploration. Only 30 minutes from metro Atlanta, Alpharetta is the perfect blend of big city adventure and small-town authenticity. Prepare to play at Alpharetta’s family-friendly attractions like Fairway Social where you can shoot hoops, score touchdowns, and knock out zombies in their simulation games. Take your kids to see their favorite artists at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, where the biggest names in country, rock, and pop share their music with the 12,000-seat crowd! With hundreds of shops and delicious restaurants, weekly events, seasonal celebrations, biking trails and more ‘awesome’ activities, there’s something great for everyone in Alpharetta. Make a weekend full of memories and book your stay at one of our 30 modern and upscale hotels.

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