Ah! A Monday morning that is not the start of a school week! It is the start of a much-needed vacation for teachers, educational technicians, secretaries, lunch ladies (are there any lunch lads?), custodians, bus drivers, school nurses, guidance counselors, and yes, even administrators. We can sleep in, visit with family and friends, indulge in hobbies and sports – in short, it’s a time to relax and recharge. Ahhh!

And then reality wakes you up.

“MOM, she’s looking at me.”

“I’m bored.”

“He hit me first, Dad!”

“My friends are going out, they expect me to go with them.”

“The toilet won’t stop running.”

“The driveway needs shoveling again.”

“Did you take care of that mix-up with the oil bill?”

“Grandpa has a doctor’s appointment.”

“I don’t feel very well.”

The realities of this end-of-the-year vacation often conflict with the activities that promote relaxation. Experts tell us that balance is the key. This time of year it is difficult to even remember the word, much less make it happen. So, what are we supposed to do?

My best advice for school employees and parents is to remember that there will always be closets to clean, bathtubs to scrub and errands to run. Spend time with your family. Your family might be a mom, dad and two kids. It might be one grown-up and three kids. It might be a grandma and one kid. Your family might even be a circle of friends and blood relations. It doesn’t matter who is in your family or how many are in your family or even if your family is related to one another. Remember what Richard Bach wrote in his book “Illusions”: “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.”

Now that you have decided to ignore that cluttered closet, what are you going to do with your family? Hanging out together lasts only so long. John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer wrote, “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” In other words, do something with your family – the very act of doing is educational and far more valuable than completing worksheets or completing traditional book reports.

Use this vacation to do something together with your family:

. Build a snow castle.

. Bake bread.

. Have a Monopoly marathon.

. Knit.

. Go sliding down the nearest hill.

. Read aloud.

. Sing together.

. Visit a museum.

. Play card games such as Uno, Go Fish and Cribbage.

. Tell family stories.

During this vacation, do something goofy and memorable. It doesn’t have to be something wild, it could be something pleasant and just slightly different such as spending an entire day in pajamas or picnicking in the snow. If you are a bit more adventurous, everyone could put on bathing suits, dance to the Beach Boys and take turns swimming in the bathtub.

Spend one part of your vacation doing something for others. Not only is it a positive family activity, it also teaches your children that there are emotional rewards for helping and thinking of others. You also are teaching them that thinking of others first can be an enjoyable experience. Brain researchers tell us that humans strive to repeat enjoyable experiences. Wouldn’t that be a great outcome – children (and adults) seeking opportunities to help others!

Let everyone in the family have some independent time and space this week. Spending time alone does not have to be lonely. All of us, children and adults alike, need to learn how to be our own best friends. Appreciating yourself is an underpracticed skill. Time spent alone can build an appreciation by allowing our inner selves the opportunity to speak, listen, think and create.

The vacation will speed by and before we know it, we’ll all be back in school and back to our routines. But, if we’ve all done at least one thing with that group of people that is our family, we will be able to pause in our routines and remember the joy of spending time with one another.

What are you doing this week? E-mail me at: conversationswithateacher@gmail.com I will be reading, visiting and enjoying my family and friends this vacation week.