Summertime is family time

By Jim Bradford, Chapter Co-Chair at Mission Trail Middle School for Father’s Club

School’s out! Just in time, right?

The cold winter afternoons seem like a lifetime ago and those brisk spring mornings are suddenly a memory. In their place are warm evenings, staying up late and sleeping in.

Summer is here and all these kids certainly deserve a break. So do we, honestly, but summer is really about the little ones.

While the immediate thoughts turn to a seemingly endless summer of fun on the gaming console of choice or the rotating door of sleepovers, it’s important to remember the true gift that we’re handed when school is out – time.

It’s the most valuable of our commodities and we shouldn’t waste it.

Take time to make time. Summer is built for just that.

Ready for some harsh truths? As parents of middle schoolers, we are guaranteed around six or seven summers before those kiddos are off to college. As parents of high schoolers, it’s even more eye-popping as we have anywhere from one to three. Let that sink in. Depending on what grade your kiddo is in, you have anywhere from one to seven chances to bask in the summer sun with them before they are off to college. And then summers will look a lot different.

So, as we settle into summertime, it’s a good time to make some memories. Between fastballs and grounders, let’s soak up some sun poolside. When you’re not killing time between softball games, catch some fireflies at dusk.

OK, it’s more than Norman Rockwell summer fun, sure.

It’s a time for trips to the lake, fishing from the docks, learning to waterski. Or for those heading to the coast down south, it’s all about the beach.

While connecting with students through all of our efforts at the middle school and high school level is great, summer is for connecting with those that matter most.

Let’s make the summer of 2024 be all about family, friends and the Fourth of July.

And while your at it, see if any of those friends might be interested in joining Father’s Club, huh?