Summer Days with Small Children

Pink Hydrangeas on Mrs. White's front Porch 

We have been enjoying having the children and grandchildren over quite a bit the last few weeks. Summer days are a relaxing time to enjoy the outdoors and the peaceful pace of the season.

It is good to have a routine to prevent grumpiness in the family. Children can get overwhelmed with all the activity and they may get over-tired.  A routine and a schedule can help prevent this.

When I was growing up, all the mothers in the neighborhood were home.  I had relatives who lived on our street, as well as on a few streets over.  We would get together for picnics in our front yard.  There was watermelon and just happy times of playing.  We children would walk around the neighborhood, going to the corner store and to the private beach at the end of our Massachusetts street.

We were always delighted when the ice cream truck would drive down our road. We would be outside playing and hear the bell.  Since we lived on a dead-end road, we knew we had time to run to our Mothers for some change.  Then we would run back out to the sidewalk and wait with the money in our hands. We would just stand there, like good, sweet children, waiting patiently.  Soon we would hear the bell ringing and the truck would be heading back to us.  We loved taking our time choosing which treat we wanted.

When my own children were growing up, times were very different.  There were not so many mothers at home anymore.  But I kept a traditional summer routine, much like the one my mother had for us.

We would get up early and have our breakfast before the heat really settled in.  Any chores or baking had to be done in the morning hours.  I often started the process of supper before we got too tired.  This might be peeling potatoes, putting them in a large pan and filling it up with water.  I could just put a cover on this and let it sit until three in the afternoon when I started making the evening meal.  I was always a slow worker and wanted plenty of time to do the job.  When there was a lot of time available, there was less stress.  There would always be interruptions. Children would want to hear a story, or someone would need a Band-Aid.   Perhaps the phone would ring.  (This was before caller ID and before answering machines.)  I would make the call brief because the focus at this time of day was family and the dinner hour.   Most people understood that the evening time was just for family and the peaceful routine of winding down the day. Slowly and peacefully the kitchen work would be accomplished.

Throughout summer days, the children would have time to play outside.  I would often sit nearby while they played and laughed together. They always did something cute or entertaining that brought me a great deal of joy! 

Sometimes I would encourage a new game if they were getting bored. I would show them how to set up some toys and get them started.  This would quiet them down and they would get back to their play.  I tried not to let the children get "too riled up" because it would wear them out so much that they would get grumpy.  Children need peace and gentleness.  They need mother with patience and wisdom.

The children would need plenty of juice and light snacks. Lunch was always at around noon each day.  Then it was time for naps and rest in a nice cool room.  Often, the children needed to hear a few stories to help them to relax before their nap.

A nutritious snack and more juice would be served after this. We always had the children fold their little hands and bow their heads in prayer for all meals and snacks. It was so precious to see their little happy faces as they did this.

Soon they were back outside in the fresh air and sunshine.  If there was a baby, we would often just settle in the shade on a blanket or with a carriage (stroller).  We would usually stay outside for about an hour at a time and then come back in to rest or to play indoors.

 I always had the children help me with the chores, whether it was folding towels, sweeping the porch, or doing the dishes.  The children enjoyed helping me because we all did it together and talked and smiled.  I would praise them for their hard work and they would feel proud of themselves.  They needed to feel they were helpful and doing good things.

If it was very hot, there would be plenty of Popsicles served throughout the day. But we only ate at the kitchen table.  This helped keep the house neat and clean. Of course, the children were also welcome to have their treat outside and we often did this with watermelon at the picnic table.

The children loved to play with bubbles, little kiddie pools, beach toys, toy trucks, and baby dolls.  They could play for long periods of time if only a few items were offered. This way they were not overwhelmed. I would often help them clean up their games after use. This helped in two ways:

1.  The work was kept up to keep things generally in order.

2.  If everything was put away several times throughout the day, the children were always delighted to start fresh and play.  (Usually if the toys are left out and there is a mess, the children don't seem to notice their games and get bored. But if it is all cleaned up they want to play all over again!)

The main focus of the house was on the happiness and peacefulness of the family. If there was yelling or quarrelling among the children, it didn't last long.  All childish troubles were gently calmed with encouragement, wisdom, patience, and a great deal of understanding and love.

After supper, it would be bath time.  Soon the children would be cozy in their pajamas.  There was quiet play in the living room with perhaps a time of reading.  Sweet, sleepy children would be tucked into their beds with a prayer, a hug and kiss, and a gentle encouragement of a "goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

These days, I am hearing that this kind of childhood is not so common in our culture.  Many mothers work outside the home.  When children are not in school or daycare, they attend something called, "day camp" in the summer months.  I very much appreciate that this is available for the working parents. But I can't help wondering what little ones are missing out on, when they are not able to have carefree summers at home, year-after-childhood-year, with Mama.

Blessings
Mrs.White


From the Archives -

Precious Days - Walking the Gardens with Baby.

A Blessing to have - A House Full of Babies.

A Happy Home - Serving Mister.

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