A Day at the Beach

One thing is a guaranteed certainty for me, this time of year my mind is almost always at the beach.

I am lucky enough to live close enough to get down there often but somehow I just can’t get enough. This spring I find myself as busy as usual and am really missing a relaxing day at the beach. There is so much to be gained from a day of doing nothing in particular, whether it is a day at the beach, a picnic in the park or just lazing around the house, the whole family will benefit from some serious down time. But as I look at our calendar, I wonder how do I pull this off? The embarrassing truth is, I have to schedule it!

As strange as it feels scheduling a free day for your family I think it will be worth it. The idea is to block out the first day on your calendar and other then a few obvious exceptions don’t let anything stop you from have a decent chill out session.

Depending on the interests of your family members and the ages of your children there are several options for your day. If your family enjoys being active you could go on a bike ride or a hike. You could spend the day at the beach, surfing, playing cricket and making sand castles. You may be surprised when your much older children get into making a sand castle. Maybe what your family really needs is a day at home, doing nothing in particular. Or if you fancy a little retail therapy-try an op shop spree or hit a few garage sales.

Of course, weather is going to be a factor and this is where it is important not too plan too much. If you are set on a big trip to the beach only to wake up to a rainy or windy day everyone is disappointed. Leaving your day open means you may go to the beach but you may go to the op shop and the second-hand bookstore.

My sons are getting older and don’t always want to come along with mum and dad on family outings. At first I was a little sad and even hurt when they chose being with their friends over us. Now I use these outings as a way to stay in touch with the boys and their friends. A day out with my children and a couple of friends can be really fun for everyone and as we all know the studies are all saying that the best thing we can do for our teen is to get to spend time with them and get to know their friends.

If you tend to get a little too busy then scheduling a chill out day will help reconnect your family and recharge yourself for the busy week ahead. For me it also gives me the incentive to drop a few of the non-essential things I sometimes fill my life up with. Every once in awhile I need to take a step back from it all and look at what exactly I have signed myself up for. If I can let a few things go and not replace them with other non-essential busyness I might be able to have a few more relaxing days in the future.




image courtesy of essortment.com