Cultivate Your Life Podcast Episode 036: How To Cultivate What Matters With Kids This Summer

Summer this year is going to look a little different than it usually does. Camp may be canceled, vacations postponed… but you still want to make it a season to remember! Does that mean more plans, more activities, more circus-directing from you, the mom? No, my friend, it does not. Today’s episode is all about what it looks like to cultivate what matters with your kids this summer—let’s talk!

LISTEN NOW!

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In this episode:
— We begin by acknowledging that summer feels overwhelming to many of us right now. Accepting where we are is helpful—we can move forward from there!
— I encourage you to think big-picture about even something as simple as the summer ahead. Knowing what matters and acting accordingly is your recipe for success this summer (instead of disappointment over what you didn’t do, or the weeks passing in a blur).
— If you start with what matters, you have the freedom to be creative about how you live it out. Even if your plans don’t go exactly as planned, you’ll know you’re headed in the right direction.
— What do you want to cultivate this summer? What do you want this summer to feel like? Write your answer down right now—then tack it up somewhere you’ll see it every day!
— For example, I’m focusing this summer on “delight” with my children, and I give you a few examples of what that might look like for us. Maybe your focus will be on reading together, or getting dirty outside, or telling family stories, or kindness, or developing connections with loved ones.
— We talk about what our kids will learn from watching us roll with the punches as we focus on the big picture. Hint: it’s good things!
— I encourage you to keep summer fun at the ready—this will lessen your need to make plans. (I tell you about my Shabbat basket, too!) What would you put in your summer basket? Or a summer basket for your kids? Remember: make it easy, easy, easy!
— We talk about making this the summer of noticing—of the quiet around us, and the tangles in our own hearts. I’m hearing in my heart what matters so much more. Take notice of that in your own heart. What do you want to keep from this time?
— We talk about the opportunity presented by “The Great Pause.” As you move back into “normal” (whenever that may be), think carefully about what you want to bring back into your life. I share some of my thoughts on this, too.

Interested in some of the things I mentioned throughout this episode? Here you go!
— Start with this post in the legacy series (this one is my favorite!).
— More about my Word of the Year—delight!
— Looking for a good book for your summer fun basket? Here are a few picks from Team Cultivate.
— My PowerSheets®—where I get clear on my big picture! Start your undated set today (and grab a Girls Goal Planner for your little one, too!)
— Some of the things I’m keeping.
— Our quarantine scrapbook, and pandemic journal prompts for you!
— The viral essay I quoted from is Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting* by Julio Vincent Gambuto. I’m not going to link it because it has some language, but it’s easily Googleable!

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