End the Summer with Volunteer Work by Anne Cooper

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Carol Chandran

Some Rights Reserved, puck90 via Flickr Creative Commons

August is often the most dreaded month of the year for children as it reminds them that summer is coming to an end. To make those last few weeks really count, it might be a good idea to take the family on one last hurrah, but instead of taking them up to a cabin by the lake or on a Disneyland adventure, consider doing some volunteer work. Unlike your regular vacations, these philanthropic trips are much easier to plan, as many specialized tour operators such as Projects Abroad tend to organize details such as flights, accommodation and the itinerary itself. Plus, it makes your vacation a little more meaningful and one the whole family will remember.

Volunteering has always been recognised as a great way to give back while strengthening family bonds, but throughout the school year some families struggle to fit in charitable activities because of their busy schedules. With child sponsorship programs and other nonprofits expanding their scope of operations by providing opportunities for volunteers rather than just accepting donations, this kind of vacation can really open up you and your kids’ minds to a whole new world.

Although there are plenty of options out there that your family will enjoy, one destination that you should consider is the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Angel Canyon, located north of Kanab in Utah. Run by the Best Friends Animal Society, this place is an animal refuge for almost 2,000 homeless animals, from sheep to dogs and cats. The sanctuary allows animals to heal from illness, neglect and abuse, and with the help of volunteers from around the world, the animals thrive and eventually find loving homes through adoption programs. Best Friends Animal Society welcomes volunteers to stay at their many on-site cottages and cabins. They also have RV sites for families on road trips.

volunteer travel 2

Daily activities at the sanctuary include tours and looking after the many animals, so depending on the preference of your kids, you will have an option to work with specific types of animals, doing things like preparing meals, grooming and socializing. Despite all the hard work the kids will have to put in to taking care of these sick animals, the family will benefit from these beautiful memories in the long term, and hopefully you’ll want to continue doing volunteer work in the future.

Some Rights Reserved, Kim Piper Werker via Flickr Creative Commons

This post was contributed by one of our partners.

Summer Curiosities

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Beth-Anne Jones

I used to love the Fall: the reddening of the leaves, the crisp air, the blue bird skies but now it’s the summer that tugs at my heart. I love the slow-down, the indulgence, and the warm weather but more than anything I love the break from routine. Most people look at me like I am clueless, an amateur, when I say that my kids take a break from all organized activity in the summer and yes, that includes camp.

It’s a conscious choice- a more mindful one. Before we became parents we would dream about our future family. We never discussed what to name our babies (that could explain why we found it so stressful), how cute they’d be (given!), or what we thought about attachment parenting, but we did talk about the big picture. And by big picture, I mean huge. What sort of foundation would we lay? What are the most important values we want to instil? What memories of our own childhood do we hope to transfer to our own children?

A seed that grew from those early conversations was meaningful together time. Admittedly, in the early years of parenting survival was key, and escaping for alone time topped my list of priorities. Now, just like everyone said that it would, things have changed again – in what seems a blink of an eye.

No more diapers or strollers or sleepless nights. No naps or a constant stream of illnesses.

We’ve crossed a bridge and I find myself on the other side, somewhat weary, a little bruised; simply amazed we made it through. Now it’s time to put into action our plan for our family.

There are downsides to being a stay-at-home mom but there are a lot of incredible perks too. It’s taken a long time for me not to feel guilty about enjoying them.

And so this summer, I did just that. I made a dream become a reality. I crossed off two weeks this summer, packed-up the boys and rented a house far, far, away from our everyday life.

These two weeks have been void of anything overly familiar (except whining and bickering), very limited screen time, and heavy on the family time. What I have learned is without the constraints or pressures of our lives, our family unit grows stronger. We challenge each other to try new things and spend time really talking and listening. Most of all we each feel more vulnerable without the trappings of home and we only have each other to lean on.

I see my boys’ personalities developing. I see their strengths and admit to myself their weaknesses. I see them become more pack-like: defensive and protective while playfully mauling each other like lion cubs.

I have slowed down and allowed myself to indulge their curiosities. How do seashells get their colouring? Where does sea-glass come from? Why do some fish swim in schools while others glide along the reef independently?

I hope to increase the time we spend on summer retreat over the years to the full two months. I may be unrealistic. It may be a harebrained plan.

But I have made it across one bridge and I see another on the horizon and experience has taught me that objects are closer than they appear.

What lazy days of summer?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Beth-Anne Jones

I long for those lazy days of summer. Reading books under a tree, strolling for ice cream, meeting friends for patio dinners. Those are the summer days of yesteryear. My days of summer are not anything but. It’s been three weeks of summer and we’ve:

– Planted cucumbers and tomatoes, a planter of begonias and a bed of gerbras

– Had four cottage weekends complete with boating at the crack of dawn, fireworks late into the evening and a baby who refuses to sleep in his temporary crib

– Attended (the kids, not me- I can only wish) a week of day camp

– Visited two libraries, Santa’s Village, numerous parks/playgrounds and friends, farmer’s markets, and story tellers

– Made waves in swimming pools and splash pads

– Effectively wasted enough water with the sprinkler and hose-play to remedy the African drought

– Seen Cars 2, the movie (read about THAT experience here)

– Had two very nasty poo-explosions courtesy of the baby (who must have been feeling left out of all of the activity) which resulted in MAJOR clean-up and emergency baths all around

– Had one lamp smashed to smithereens

– Made one trip to the ER for a staple to the head, my son’s, not mine (can you imagine!?!)

– Tried three neighbourhood restaurants for lunches (what was I thinking?)

– Applied Benedryl to a swollen ankle rendered useless thanks to a Muskoka mosquito (*Mr. Mosquito, next time please aim for the lips.)

It’s important to note that while most things on that list sound summery and like a lot of fun, you must imagine doing each with three boys who must have been circus carnies in their previous lives. Gong!