The Plan

Many of us will spend the winter holiday right here in beautiful Saint Petersburg, Florida. Others will travel “home” to family and friends, and others may go on special adventures. For some the break comes at an important time. Believe it or not, for others the break interrupts the positive flow of progress a child or an adult may be making in a special endeavor. If we know our children and ourselves well, we will have a plan in place to make the school holiday positive and productive.

 

I will use athletics and the arts as examples, but I could just as easily be referring to reading, writing or calculating to name a few. Coaches observe and many student-athletes can tell when they are coming off a plateau of development and improving to the next level. Swimmers and runners are familiar with the concept of peaking in their training. This happens in many areas of performance. The soccer player is developing a “touch,” a basketball player can have the same feeling about shooting or ball handling. Student-athletes and coaches who are in tune with their development know that a break can delay the progress a student-athlete is making. Students and coaches who develop a plan to maintain and advance skills over a holiday experience greater success when school resumes.

 

Similarly, there are student-artists who find they are just getting the “touch” with a wheel in the clay room, or just getting the feel of certain kinds of paint on a particular canvas. What if the break comes just as a young artist is on the edge of a major breakthrough? Again, teachers, parents and students who are clued into the development of artists can help develop plans so the breakthough could happen.

 

At risk of sounding like a scrooge or fuddy-duddy, I am convinced it is not good for young people to have two full weeks without a plan for some productive activities. While activities that are academically enriching are the first that come to mind, how about other more “non-schoolish” projects. How about making lunch or dinner for the family every other day? There may be a neighbor who would benefit from support watching young children or doing some work in the yard. I’ve known children who have started holiday cookie businesses. I’ve met kids who offered a shoe shine business for their family and neighbors.

 

These activities could also be a service rather than a money maker. Interested in cleaning out book shelves? Google: Little Free Library. This is a wonderful program that promotes neighborhood book sharing. My wife has had one for years. It has been a great way to know our neighbors, clean our book shelves and support your community. This is also a great time of year for Relay For Life Teams to focus on fundraising.

 

My wish is that we will all have a good, positive and restful break. My hope is that we will keep our children engaged in positive and productive activities. I advocate for boredom over hours in front of a TV or computer screen unless that viewing has a purpose.

 

Have a plan. Have your children help build the plan. You will be happy you did. 

Best wishes to all Shorecrest Families for happy celebrations and a wonderful New Year!

 

Cheers!

Mike

 

PS: If your child does anything special over the holiday, I would like to know about the activity.