5 Elements Of The Christ-Centered Slow Living Summer Plan

Are you weary?  Are you dreading the summer months?  Are you overwhelmed with motherhood?   Well, let me stop and say right now that your needs matter.  I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way this summer.  It will mean a change from the normal but you and your children will come out refreshed at the other end.  I am excited to share with you,  5 Elements Of The Christ-Centered Slow Living Summer Plan, otherwise known as, what am I going to do with my kids this summer?

• The Children & Nature Network reports that only 6% of children aged 9-12 play outside in unstructured play in the course of a week.
• A recent study from Cinncinati Children’s Hospital showed that increased use of screen-based media can lead to white matter changes in the brain that negatively impact the development of language and literacy skills in young children. This means that overuse of digital media can actually change the physical structure of the brain in ways that can cause problems for development and learning across many areas.
• Preschool-age children are also at greater risk of ADHD, says the University of Alberta, due to excessive device use. Children ages 3-5 years who spend over two hours per day on screen time are more than 7 times more likely to meet the criteria for ADHD than those children who spend two hours a day or less on these activities.

I want to paint a picture for you of a Christ-centered slow living summer.  Lazy summer days outside in God’s creation.  Creating a place of wonder.  Exploring, playing, pretending, learning.  Serving others from a place of rest.  Cherishing and focusing on the teachings of Christ.  Picnics, wildflower picking, and days at the creek.  Reading good wholesome and edifying literature.  Cooking together, berry picking, and growing little gardens.

Do people really live like this? 

Yes, they most definitely do but it is a choice.  As a mother of six, I get it!  I will tell you this though, Christ-centered slow living has saved my sanity and allowed me to focus on the main things.  My faith, my husband, my children, and creating a home that is a safe haven in a dark world, where discipleship can thrive.  It’s time to get off the treadmill of busy and take your children with you! 

5 Elements Of The Christ-Centered

Slow Living Summer Plan

REST

Turn off the alarms and wake up naturally.  Make a simple and loose daily schedule, be sure to build into your day a quiet time for you and your children.  They can go and sit on their bed for a nap, read, or play with toys for a half-hour to an hour.  During this time you can do the same or work on a special project.  Divide the work of the house and get your children involved in daily chores, you will be teaching them important life skills, and remember, many hands make light work.  Celebrate the Sabbath!  

OUTDOOR 

Get the kids outside all day, every day. Participate in a family media fast.  I’m not going to lie.  If your kids are used to being on tablets, phones, social media, computers, and gaming then the first several weeks are going to be painful for everyone.  Go for walks, to the market, play in the creek, reenact a historical battle in your backyard.  Let your kids dig a hole to China!  Pick flowers, make a nature journal. Play kick the can, basketball, a game of croquet, take a bike ride.

WORSHIP 

Worship the Lord Jesus in Spirit and in truth.  Incorporate prayer and Bible reading into your day.  Snuggle on the couch or on a blanket outside to read inspiring devotionals, talk, wonder, discuss and ponder. Get the little ones involved too.  Have them scribble on paper while listening to the Bible story, the older ones can illustrate the story while you are reading.  Take a nature walk and speak about how God created the earth and everything in it.  Teach your children that God made them for a reason and has a purpose for them!

READ 

Devote a portion of your day to reading.  Talk about enriching brain development!  Read a chapter a day of an interesting fiction book together. (If you have not read aloud as a family before why not start with the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis.) Go to the library and have your children pick out books that they are interested in reading.  Audiobooks are great too!  Check out my book reviews HERE and my k-12 grade-level summer reading list HERE!

CREATION 

Sing, draw, write, play an instrument, pretend, play dress up, eat outside, daily chores, paint, glue, build, and imagine! Oh, I’m not creative you might say. God is the great creator and you were made in His image, so you are creative by nature!  Make sure to participate in your own creative endeavors too. Stay up late and look at the stars, write a family manifesto, smile, and laugh this summer! 

I know there is a lot on your to-do list, mine is a mile long!  However, why not create a season of rest this summer.  Build in some self-care for yourself while you’re at it.  Focus on the main things.  Let me break it down for you.  What are the main things that must be accomplished every day? For me, it’s making sure my family is fed, having a daily quiet time with God, a quick tidy and clean, dishes, laundry 2x weekly.  Your main things will look different than mine and that is OK!

Here’s to an intentionally slow summer!  

YOUR TURN…

What is one of your favorite things to do a family? 

Blessings,