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By Meredith Carver

I’m a busy person with lots of interests. The upside to this is that I’m “well-rounded,” but the downside is keeping track of the items that come along with these interests. You know that pile of stuff that you can feel glaring at you as you walk past it? Maybe it’s a once-clear and inviting work desk, a bookshelf, or a table; whatever it is, it somehow turns into a dumping ground for unfinished projects, papers, and materials until it eventually just becomes a part of the room landscape – a “stuff” mountain, if you will. At some point, it bothers you enough to do something about it so that it stops calling your name. So, my friends, this is a story of (finally) organizing my desk at home.

My self-awareness led me to notice that the “frustration pattern” motivating me to intervene was not being able to find what I needed. I know that in the process of looking for something for a project, I can lose momentum to continue working and whatever organizational method I had could fly right out the window. So, I needed to visualize an ideal space. I asked myself a bunch of questions, including what does it feel like to feel comfortable and productive in this space? What do I need to do to achieve this? What are the functions and needs of the space? My desk is a place that should, ideally, help me to focus and complete tasks, so a more minimalistic look could be useful.

Before jumping into cleaning, I made sure to plan in advance when I wanted to tackle my desk. Cleaning can take more time than you think it will, and it can be difficult to return after leaving the project in an “in-between” state. I set aside time on a weekend, and then I got to work. First, I surveyed the items on my desk and noticed that they were mostly a mix of art and office supplies. I then looked for patterning in these items. Like-items (e.g., pens/pencils) were then grouped together as I took inventory and let go of what wasn’t needed. I also relocated items not desired in the space/that needed to go to a different room or location. After that, I bought some bookshelves and rolling carts with clear drawers. I now feel like things have a designated place, so if I maintain the practice of putting things back where they go, this should be sustainable.

But let’s be honest – when it’s a promise only between you and yourself to keep things organized, it’s hard to stick to the goal and see it through. My desk might be clean now, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. To prevent myself from sliding backwards, I sought accountability. I actually found a sense of accountability from writing this very blog! Now the whole world will know that I cleaned my desk, and if someone asks how the upkeep is going, I want to be able to proudly say that things are still organized. After all, it’s always worth it in the end. Once you finally clean and organize, it seems to quell a form of chaos in your environment and in your mind. You may find more motivation to use the space, as it’s now more inviting and has a sense of novelty.

Sticking to the system over time is the real challenge; maintenance is the real trial. I keep reminding myself that if I stick with this, there are tons of benefits. I can find art materials when I need them! No more digging around and losing steam! We don’t always realize the impact of changing a physical space until it’s made, and it’s always worth the investment of time and energy; make your future self proud and put in the work!

Now on to tackle a closet!

By Kristin Backert

Readers, I have somehow (somehow) picked up yet another hobby. Recently, one of my friends introduced me to the Digimon trading card game. The first time that I went through some cards, I felt incredibly overwhelmed. What was the difference between “on play” and “your turn”? Why did creatures with the same name have different effects when played? How did people keep track of everything?!

Soon after, I went to my friend’s house to get a crash course in playing. He was very patient with me (I stared at cards for ages as I tried to figure out what to do) and answered all of my questions as I hesitantly put down cards. I actually won a game, but it felt like a massive fluke because I played cards that I maaaaaybe semi-understood and probably won with dumb luck. When I went home that night, I considered my options. I could toss the cards out the window and give up. That would be pretty easy and possibly fun in its own littering way. Or I could study how the game worked and memorize what the cards said so that I could make quicker calls about what to play. That would involve a lot of perseverance, bloodshed (maybe), and frustration, so that didn’t sound too great.

In the end, I opted to study the game and memorize the cards. To make things easier for myself, I chose the rookie cards to learn first, as there were only four of them. I read a card, said its effects out loud, and then moved to the next card. I repeated those steps and then returned to the first card to see what I could recall. From there, I’d go back to the second card. If I successfully recalled the info on both cards, I then added a third card. This is actually the same type of memorization strategy that I share with my students. Trying to memorize 30 Spanish words or 45 History terms at once can be daunting and unrealistic. Breaking them up into smaller chunks makes things a lot easier on your brain, and that constant repetition can make it easier to remember material.

As I worked to memorize the cards, I also focused on little visual cues to help me recall differences between the cards. In Digimon, the same creature can appear on different cards with different effects. For example, I had three different Terriermons in my deck with different effects, so I designated them in my head as Cheeseburger Terriermon, Terriermon Assistant (already his name!), and Waving Terriermon. As I continued to add cards to my hand to memorize, I kept adding visual cues when necessary.

But straight-up memorization can only take you so far. Memorization can get the info in your head, but you need to grasp the bigger picture if you want to be able to talk about it with confidence. So while memorizing info on my cards, I realized that there were some wordings that confused me and that I didn’t actually understand what an effect did. Whenever that happened, I sent a picture of the card to my friend with my interpretation of it to see if I was correct. And most importantly, I practiced playing. Yes, I knew the info, but until I actually sat down and played, I didn’t fully understand what I was doing. Pairing the words that I had memorized with the actions necessary to play the cards helped to bridge a lot of gaps in my understanding.

Am I a Digimon champ now? Ahahaha…no. And that’s okay! I’m still learning in the way that makes sense to me, and it’ll take some time. One big thing that this card experience has reminded me of is that you can memorize a math formula, but you need to practice solving problems to really see how well you understand it. You can memorize a bunch of Spanish vocab terms, but you need to practice writing or speaking to see how they’re meant to be used. Memorization is a great and useful tool, and it’s made even more powerful when you combine it with other tools. Stay tuned to see what hobby I pick up next!

By Gaby McLish

In January 2024, I set out to read 40 books throughout the year. Was this a lofty goal? I didn’t think so, but it turns out it was much more difficult than I had imagined. In 2023, I read 24 books. As I reflected on the year and looked ahead to 2024, I knew I wanted to set a larger goal. I thought to myself, “I read 24 books without even trying, so how hard could it be to read 16 more?” The answer: HARD. Despite my best efforts, I didn’t read 40 books. While it’s difficult to set a goal and not reach it, I’ve found it to be a great learning experience as I reflect on how this happened. Below is a list of reasons (okay, so maybe some of them are excuses) on why I didn’t reach my goal.

 Choosing a Goal
I somewhat arbitrarily picked the number 40. If I had stopped to think about how much I was increasing my goal by, I probably would have picked 30. Why? When we choose goals, we need to make sure they’re attainable. Think SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) is what they teach us in graduate school. Adding 16 more books is not a smart, attainable, next step. That’s like saying, “I ran a marathon, so now there’s no question I can run an ultramarathon.” However, most people who run marathons don’t make it to the ultramarathon mark. Why? Sixteen more miles is a lot more to add at once. When choosing a goal, we need to remember to think about where we are and the attainable next step.

Distractions
When trying to reach a goal, there are always persistent distractions. It’s easy to say you’ll find time to read after work or on the weekends, but those hours often get consumed by other things. I wasn’t scheduling my time, and as a result, I wasn’t reading as often as I thought I would. I should have realized that in order to make room for something, you have to prioritize it. Scheduling specific reading times might have made a huge difference, but instead, I thought I could simply fit reading into whatever free time I had, and that didn’t work. I always hoped that I would be a reading-before-bed person, but I should’ve realized that I have more free time in the morning and scheduled it as such.

The “I’ll start tomorrow” Trap
I fell into a cycle of procrastination. “I’ll read more tomorrow,” I’d tell myself, only to fall into the same pattern again and again. It’s the classic trap of thinking that tomorrow will be different, but the reality is that small actions today add up over time. I didn’t need to read 50 pages a day to hit my goal, but I often found myself putting off reading because I felt like I needed to do it all at once. But the truth is, 10 minutes here and there adds up. Even if I’d only read a few pages a day, I would’ve been much closer to my goal. This applies to any type of goal, and in fact, I talk about it constantly; micro goals or chunking are the keys to success when it comes to working toward a goal.

Making a Plan
Finally, I have to admit that while I set the goal to read 40 books, I didn’t really create a plan to achieve it. It wasn’t enough to say, “I’ll read 40 books this year.” That’s like saying, “I’ll run a marathon one day” without ever lacing up your sneakers. Goals need actionable steps, and I forgot to break down the big goal into manageable chunks. If I had created a reading schedule or even set a monthly reading target, I might have been more successful.

So, what did I learn?
While I didn’t reach 40 books in 2024, I’ve learned more about goal-setting, about myself, and about how I manage my time than I could have imagined. I talk about goal-setting and chunking every day, but this was a great reminder that everyone can benefit from checking in on their goals and making sure they know how to achieve them. I learned that you can’t force enjoyment out of a book, and sometimes it’s okay to abandon something that isn’t working. I learned that distractions are inevitable, but it’s up to me to prioritize what matters.

So, while 2024 was not my year to read 40 books, it was certainly a year of learning and growth. Happy reading (and goal-setting) in 2025!

By Madeline Albertine

I’m gearing up to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip – to the Philippines! While I couldn’t be more excited about this two-week adventure, the weeks leading up to it put my executive functioning knowledge to the test. Planning a trip can be exhilarating, but one of the most stressful parts is often figuring out what to pack. For this vacation, I had to keep in mind packing for an 18-hour layover in Istanbul and gathering gear for the camping portion of the trip. Even though I stayed up too late packing the night before leaving, this packing took weeks of prep. Here are some steps I took to ease the process and (I hope) successfully pack everything I need:

Start with the Essentials
Before diving into packing clothes, shoes, and accessories, make sure you have your trip essentials in order.

• Passport/ID: If you’re traveling internationally, a passport is a must.
• Travel Documents: Flight tickets, hotel reservations, car rental confirmations, or event tickets should be in one easily-accessible spot. I must confess that my brilliant friend put this all into a downloadable PowerPoint for us, and it’s a game-changer!
• Credit Cards/Cash: A mix of credit cards and debit cards to take out cash for spending is needed wherever you go.
• Phone & Charger: Don’t forget to buy adapters and bring your charging devices.

 Plan Your Outfits Carefully
As a chronic over-packer (who had to keep taking items out to meet my luggage weight goals), when it comes to packing clothes, it’s easy to go overboard and end up with way more than you need.

• Versatility: Choose clothing that can be worn in multiple ways or be useful on more than one day.
• Limit Shoes: Don’t be like me and think you need a specific pair of tennis shoes for just the layover. Spoiler alert – you don’t. Those were the first items to be cut when my bag was overweight.
• Pack for the Climate: Check the weather forecast before you leave and pack accordingly! Even though I’m packing for warm/humid weather, I’m glad I checked that Istanbul has a high of 45 degrees during the day I’m there.

 Pack Smart with the Right Gear
The right travel gear can make a world of difference. Consider the following:

• Packing Cubes: These small, zippered cubes help organize your clothing and accessories, keeping everything neat and easy to find. Plus, they can help compress your clothes, saving space in your suitcase. This was my first time using them, and it was a lifesaver.
• Laundry Bag: Save your dirty laundry from mingling with clean clothes by packing a small laundry bag. It’s a simple but effective way to keep your bag organized.

Pack Light, Travel Light
The more you pack, the more you’ll carry. And let’s be honest, no one wants to be dragging heavy luggage around an unfamiliar city or struggling with an overpacked bag at the airport. So when in doubt, take it out. Think carefully about whether you’ll actually use something and whether you can get by without it.

I know myself, and I will be shopping while away. This makes it crucial that I don’t overpack now, so I can bring home all the souvenirs!

By Robyn Clanton

We don’t usually equate the upcoming holiday season with sleep hygiene, but maybe we need to change that norm! As a society, we’re headed into the busiest time of the year: the mad dash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, with a host of holiday celebrations in between. This is the time of year when there are too many parties to attend, too many school events to keep track of, and, oftentimes, too many assignments to keep straight. In addition to the flurry of activities, this is also the time of year when the days get increasingly shorter and, here in the Northern Hemisphere, we get less and less of the rejuvenating sunshine.

It’s easy to get fatigued just thinking about it! People often joke this time of year that they just want to curl up in a turkey or holiday sweets-induced coma and take a long nap. That said, one of the best things that we can do for ourselves during this time of year is something that actually benefits us year-round: healthy sleep habits. As end-of-semester tests approach, work deadlines loom, and busy holiday events cluster each week, our sleep habits tend to be the first to be sacrificed. This inevitably and negatively impacts almost every area of our lives and days. Setting some specific goals and boundaries around our sleep can help combat this. Here are a few tips:

• Prioritizing sleep. This is probably the most important tip of all. Try as much as possible to keep a consistent sleep schedule and one that allows for enough sleep! The CDC recommends that teenagers need between 8-10 hours/night, with adults needing a similar amount. It is recommended that children ages 6-12 get 9-12 hours/night.
• Continue or create healthy nighttime habits. Think limiting screen time in the evening or eating dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime to allow food to digest. If your mind has a hard time shutting down, try using a meditation app, like Calm or Headspace.
• Try to get sunlight during the daytime to help with our circadian rhythms. Go for a short walk at lunch or after school/work. If that isn’t possible, just opening the shades and letting sunlight into the room can make a big difference.
• Create a cozy – and clean – bedroom. The use of soft lighting in the bedroom can help calm our bodies and minds.

The key is to remember that sacrificing sleep for the party or study session may seem like a logical idea at the time, but it’s not a good solution. Your body and mind need the time to rest each night, so do yourself a favor and go to bed! ?

By Julia Simak

You check the calendar, and it’s somehow already October. The last 12 months flew by, and you’re back to the month of pumpkins, costumes, and sugar-crazed children. The 31st can go one of two ways: the nice way or the frazzled, panicked, last-minute, Party-City-nightmare way. Will your kids have the costumes they want, or will they be kicking and screaming five minutes before the neighbors show up with their kids? Believe it or not, it’s up to you!

Step 1: Make a plan.
What are you going to do on Halloween? Are you taking your youngsters out trick-or-treating and then hopping into bed by 9, or are you throwing a party with the whole neighborhood on your driveway until midnight? Whatever it may be, it requires a plan. Despite which type of celebration you go with, kids will be knocking on your door expecting an assortment of candy, so plan on taking a trip to the store.

Step 2: Acquire the goods.
Halloween comes alive at Target in the beginning of September, so make sure you go as early as possible. While you’re there, grab some decor for the front porch. They’ve got skeletons, pumpkins, and a plethora of choices in the dollar section. You know which one I’m talking about… we’ve all been there! They also have costumes, which brings us to our next step.

Step 3: Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!
The costume options are endless, so it can be overwhelming for your kiddo to choose what to parade in around your neighborhood. That’s why it’s essential that they come with you to the store. Not only will they be able to pick out their costume then and there, but they can try it on, too. This will prevent you from having to return a costume that your kid doesn’t like or won’t fit in.

Step 4: It’s the night of Halloween.
You’ve got a scary movie playing, hot apple cider is warming up on the stove, and there are several children in your house, all of whom you cannot identify because two of them are wearing ghost costumes and the other three are matching root vegetables. Now that everything has been planned, acquired, and bought, take a big exhale and enjoy the spooky night.

By Colette Hapi

In our fast-paced world, the idea of slowing down to get ahead might sound a little crazy. But guess what? That’s exactly what I learned from playing the drums! When I first started drumming, I wanted to jam out as fast as possible, but I quickly discovered that the real magic happened when I slowed down. By practicing each beat carefully, I built the skills I needed to rock out at full speed later. It turns out, the same trick works for life’s challenges, like organizing your day or staying on top of schoolwork.

A lot of students feel the need to race through their to-do lists, thinking that speed is the name of the game. But just like drumming, slowing down can actually help you crush it! Encourage your children to take their time with each task, break things down into bite-sized pieces, and focus on doing things right, not just quickly. This not only makes life less stressful but also boosts their confidence and makes learning way more fun.

As the school year kicks off, nudge your kids to find their groove! Here are some ideas to help them set up a routine and focus on quality over speed:

• Create a Relaxed Morning Routine: Start the day with a sense of calm rather than chaos. Consider waking up a little earlier to avoid the morning rush. Share a quiet breakfast together, maybe with some relaxing background music. This sets a peaceful tone for the day and gives your children time to mentally prepare for what’s ahead.
• Set Up an After-School Wind-Down Period: After a long day at school, jumping straight into homework might feel overwhelming. Encourage your children to take 15-30 minutes to unwind – whether that’s through some light exercise, reading, or even just chatting about their day. This break can help clear their minds and get them ready to focus on their tasks with a fresh perspective.
• Break Tasks into Manageable Steps: Help your children break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. For instance, if they have a big project due, work together to create a step-by-step plan that spreads out the workload over several days. This approach prevents them from feeling overwhelmed and shows them the power of steady, consistent progress.
• Celebrate the Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate the completion of each small step along the way. Whether it’s a high five, a favorite snack, or just some words of praise, these little celebrations reinforce the idea that every bit of progress counts. It teaches kids that success isn’t just about the big milestones but also about the little victories that build up over time.
• Model the Behavior: Children often learn best by watching their parents. Show them how you slow down and focus on quality in your own tasks. Whether it’s cooking a meal, working on a project, or even how you handle your daily routine, your actions can be a powerful example of how to manage time and stress effectively.
• Encourage Reflection: At the end of the week, take a moment with your children to reflect on what they accomplished. Ask them how it felt to take things slow and steady, and discuss any areas where they felt more relaxed or successful. This reflection not only reinforces the benefits of the approach but also helps them internalize the importance of pacing themselves.

By showing your children that slowing down can lead to success, you’re giving them the tools to rock out in school and beyond. After all, life’s just like a good drum solo – it’s all about finding your rhythm and enjoying the beat.

By Jessica Bauman

In April, my husband and I became first-time homeowners, and in May, we moved into our new house. We’re already quite experienced with moving, so the executive functioning demands of packing, moving, unpacking, and settling in were pretty routine. Additionally, many of our friends bought houses before we did, so we were used to the idea that homeownership comes with seemingly never-ending projects. If you’re a new or even a seasoned homeowner, the topic of this blog is no doubt a familiar one, and I hope you find both some new ideas to make home maintenance more organized and efficient, and reassurance that you’re not alone! If you are yet to become a homeowner, I hope you’ll learn some helpful ideas for your future self and that you can share them with friends and family who might find them helpful.

Challenges

Time management

• Scheduling routine maintenance: Regular check-ups and services for HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and more. We haven’t lived here long enough to have this high on our radar, but we’re planning for it.
• Managing long-term projects: Renovations, upgrades, improvements, etc. My personal experience so far is that the backyard suffered from decades of neglect. There’s a steep hill that needs stairs and erosion management, and the plant life is currently exclusively invasive vegetation. This is going to be FUN, and it’s going to be a BIG project!

Problem-solving

• Unexpected repairs: I think we can revise the old saying about death and taxes being the two certainties in life and add a third: unexpected repairs in your house. Before we moved in, we realized the house wasn’t wired for internet! And within a week of moving in, the main bathroom showerhead fell off of the wall!

Attention to Detail

• Record-keeping: Keeping records of repairs, improvements, and finances. As with scheduling routine maintenance, we’re in the early stages of this, but planning has begun.
• Budgeting: Planning for expenses in the context of the overall household budget; seeking cost-effective contractors for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades; and selecting energy-efficient options. We’ve encountered wildly varying prices from equally well-regarded landscaping contractors for solving our backyard issues.

Solutions

• Create a home management folder/binder: Have one place where important documents live. Important papers include those produced by others such as warranties, receipts, and manuals, but also include those that you produce, such as:
  • a budgeting spreadsheet
  • a dedicated calendar to track and plan routine maintenance
  • contact information for trusted professionals

This can be either paper or digital, depending on your preference. We use digital for portability and ease of collaboration.

• Use technology to work smarter, not harder: One app I’m so grateful to have randomly stumbled upon is Thumbtack. This app lets you easily communicate simultaneously with multiple professionals about routine and unexpected work you need done at your property, allowing you to compare reviews, costs, availability, and other important considerations. Furthermore, it automatically generates a suggested schedule of routine maintenance tasks that can be easy to forget, such as inspecting the attic, flushing the gutters, clearing the dryer vent, and more!
• Seek support: Knowing your neighbors is a good thing! Connecting with your community through e-mail listservs, social media platforms, and in-person events allows you to get valuable information on how to handle processes and find trusted service providers. We recently learned that our neighbors’ yard was in a similar state to ours when they moved in – before we were born! It is GORGEOUS now, and I’m sure it has been for a long time. We look forward to continued socializing to pick their brains about their experience. Your network that doesn’t live right near you can be helpful as well, as many professionals serve a broad area. In addition to loving my work at Thinking Organized, I’m grateful to a colleague there for connecting me to an excellent exterminator company for the carpenter ants in the yard that are too close for comfort to the house!

Owning a house comes with all sorts of challenges, but by planning ahead, I know that this will be the home of our dreams.

By Kristin Backert

Recently, a friend (and Thinking Organized colleague!) dragged me out to be social and enjoy the nice weather. We were chatting about books while eating some froyo, and she mentioned that she’d read about 100 books last year. Now, I love reading as much as the next person, but 100 books?! How on earth did she have the time? Was she secretly a robot? I immediately felt guilty about not reading nearly as much as my possibly-a-robot friend, and I started plotting how I could get close to 100 books this year.

But as I sat and plotted, I ran into a problem. Namely, I have so many hobbies that if I tried to just focus all my efforts on one, I’d be forced to neglect the others (or I could just avoid sleep altogether). Reading, puzzling, crocheting, and running all take up good chunks of time, not to mention any new hobby that decides it wants to join my life. If I didn’t want to cut back time on a hobby but also wanted to increase how much attention that I devoted toward others, I would have to come up with some sort of plan.

This is all still a work in progress, but my initial plan to Increase Reading Time looked something like this:

• Reading: go to bed earlier so that I can have at least a solid hour of reading time. Depending on the text and how I’m feeling, I can knock out a few chapters every night.
• Puzzling: when the work day is over, take a few minutes to relax and puzzle. Focus on one section for maybe 20 minutes to clear my head before dinner.
• Crocheting: while watching TV, work on my current project! Do this for about 30-60 minutes each night if possible, or every other night.
• Running: wake up early to run and beat the heat of the day. Depending on the temperature and whether I’ve busted my knee again, the amount of time that I’m outside will likely range.

A lot of this depended on me altering my morning and evening routines, which seemed doable. Once 9:00 pm hit, I aimed to get ready for bed, giving myself about a 20-minute grace period in case I was working on something and couldn’t stop exactly at 9 pm. Then, I set my alarm early enough so that I’d be out the door by 8:00 am to head to a running trail. While I don’t love waking up early on weekends, I have really loved exercising in the morning; it somehow makes the rest of the day that much easier to get through. And while it definitely feels weird to sometimes be in bed before 10 pm, I’ve absolutely loved having so much time to just sit there and read.

While I don’t think that I’ll hit 100 books this year, I feel better knowing that I’ve thought through how to divide my time amongst my favorite hobbies (other than figuring out if my friend is a robot…I can sacrifice that pursuit…for now). There are just so many things that I enjoy doing, so if I manage my time properly, I know that I’ll be able to tackle them all!

By Gaby McLish

Looking for a fun way to practice executive functioning skills with your child over the summer? Look no further! Everyone has one day during the summer whether it be the weekend or a day off from camp where you think to yourself…why didn’t I plan anything? In times like these, it’s actually a great opportunity to get input from your children and have them plan a day or an activity. Putting your children in the driver’s seat may seem scary, but with the right support and enough planning, it can be a rewarding and fun day. Here’s what you can to do to make it happen:

1. Talk to your children: Ask them to think of something that they would really like to do this summer. If they have more than one idea, they can make a list and pick a few (if they’re all doable in one day, great! If not, pull out a calendar and see how you can space these days out).
2. Brainstorm: Take some time to have your children think about what they’re going to need to make their day happen. Here are some guiding questions you can have them answer:

• • • Where are you going?
    • What are we going to do there?
    • What makes this a good activity?
    • How will you get there?
    • How long does it take to get there?
    • Do you need money for your activity?
    • If yes, how much?
    • What time do you need to be there by?
    • Who is going with you?
    • What day are you going to go?
    • What do you need to bring with you?
    • What will the weather be like?

3. Make a Plan: Once these questions have been answered, they can serve as a roadmap for planning the day. If your children (with some help) can identify and execute all the things necessary to do the activity they’ve picked, then they can get to it! If they need more support, it’s a great opportunity to work with them to troubleshoot the difficult parts and discuss alternatives for next time. You can help them think of things that they may not have considered, such as money for food or an activity to bring during downtime.
4. Talk about what they accomplished: Let’s say that your children decide that they want to meet their friends at the pool for the day. They will need to pick a time to meet, set their alarm to get there on time, consider ways to get themselves there, and remember to bring sunscreen, among other things. Successfully planning this activity, even partially, is an accomplishment, and you can discuss how this mindset can be applied to other areas of life (i.e., how could you use these skills to get to school? Pack a bag for a trip?).

Regardless of the result, summer is a great time to try something new, so make sure that you and your children make it a fun experience!