Summer of Possibilities

In Massachusetts, the timing of the last day of school was often uncertain because the state allowed only a limited number of snow days. After the blizzard of ’78, the school year ended  just before the Fourth of July weekend, and those final weeks were challenging. Alice Cooper’s 1972 hit, "School's Out for Summer," echoed through the high school hallways when the final bell rang, and students emptied their binders—our own version of a snow storm. 

Before high school, my summer was filled with swimming lessons, Little League baseball, and long stretches of free time. With a bike, the world felt vast—there were penny candy stores (where the counter lady would rap our fingers if we touched the jars), local baseball fields, and endless small country roads. We gave our parents a general idea of where we would be, but not much more. We spent many afternoons watching baseball games with Mrs. Crocket, the grandmother of a friend who lived down the dirt road. She had a wicked sense of humor, cold soda in the fridge, and a knack for a great story. At home, dinner at 6:00 PM was a strict rule, though we often tried to find out where we could snag the best meal and wrangle an invitation. Life was good.

As idyllic as it all may sound, there were plenty of times I felt bored. Without video games, iPads, or carefully orchestrated playdates, we had to find ways to entertain ourselves and create our own fun. We didn’t always use our best judgment, like when a friend and I sneaked into our neighbor’s garage and painted the walls with mud. Still, we learned valuable lessons about the power of our imagination, the limits of our judgment, and the boundaries our parents set for us. After we were caught, we set about to clean up our misguided prank. 

Today, I worry when we fall into the trap of managing all of our children’s experiences, often viewing unstructured time and idleness with skepticism. To some, successful parenting seems to be defined by how many activities we enroll our children in. While there are certainly many organized opportunities that foster creativity and play, we know that every child has the same potential if given the chance to explore independently without an adult carefully crafting the experience. Last week, during kindergarten recess, I observed various groups of kids digging in the dirt, playing a made-up game, riding tricycles in a pretend chase, and simply watching the world around them. Their laughter was infectious, and their joy was truly delightful to see. 

The last day of school is almost upon us, so here’s to a summer of endless possibilities and adventure!

JWB