The back-to-schools sales are here! Time to stock up on notebooks, pencils, and binders. Time to start figuring out new schedules, pick-ups, and after-school activities. Summer is over, the general messaging seems to go, as soon as August hits.

But before you dash to your local office store to get all the kids’ school supplies, slow down! Most American families have a couple weeks of summer left before school starts. You still have time to make memories, prepare for the upcoming year in an intentional, mindful way, and reflect on all you did together this summer.

Your young kids may be off-the-wall crazy, or your teens may roll their eyes. But if you consistently emphasize the importance of the family meeting, show mutual respect and affection, and keep it fun, your family will eventually come around. And just like The Berenstain Bears, you can use family meetings to plan, problem-solve, and reinforce your family’s top values on a consistent basis.

In the wake of the pandemic and related shutdowns, Americans are craving travel.

This year, don’t just take a vacation. Take a road trip. Play games, listen to music, and even be bored together. Wind through the mountains of Appalachia, drive through the fields of Illinois or Kansas, sweat in the deserts of Utah and Nevada. Have an adventure with your family.

It’s easy to let July 4 become just a day off work. But the research all points to the value of building traditions. July 4 doesn’t have to be an awkward holiday. In fact, with a little bit of planning, it can become an anchor to your family’s summer, and a treasure trove of family memories to cherish for years to come.

Summers often start out great. Your kids are basking in being home, out of school, meeting up with friends or family with no cares in the world. You swim, or hike, or go to the park. You have laid-back grilled dinners with friends, and head out for ice cream afterward. Or maybe you build a campfire and do s’mores. 

And then, the summer schedule blues start, sooner than anyone expected. “I’m booooooooored,” says your child(ren). You suggest all kinds of (to you) fun-sounding activities, only to be met with a shake of the head. You get irritated. Your child rolls her eyes. It spirals from there.