{"id":584,"date":"2013-05-21T10:06:29","date_gmt":"2013-05-21T15:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/larakrupicka.com\/?p=584"},"modified":"2013-05-21T13:16:09","modified_gmt":"2013-05-21T18:16:09","slug":"7-reasons-to-write-up-your-family-bucket-list-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/larakrupicka.com\/staging\/6885\/2013\/05\/21\/7-reasons-to-write-up-your-family-bucket-list-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Reasons to Write Up Your Family Bucket List This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Why not?<\/strong>
\nYou know you have a list rattling around in your brain of things you want to do before your children fly the nest. Why not write it down? You\u2019re more likely to remember the ideas you have if you keep them securely noted somewhere. And you free up your mind from thinking about what you wish<\/em> you were doing to enjoy what you actually are<\/em> doing.
\n\"Crossing<\/a>
\n2. Capture the excitement.<\/strong>
\nThink about the mood your family experiences when you\u2019re in the midst of a great vacation. It\u2019s energizing. It\u2019s inspiring. It makes you want to keep doing what you\u2019re doing or return to the place you\u2019ve visited again and again. Timeshare salespeople capitalize on this vacation high to convince you to buy in on their properties. Why not use the same tactic to solicit ideas for future adventures while your family is enjoying one? They\u2019ll be more likely to sign on when they\u2019re pumped up than during the school year doldrums where it\u2019s hard to find energy for much of anything extra.<\/p>\n

3. Seize the creative energy.<\/strong>
\nGood ideas beget even better ideas. That\u2019s the thinking behind brainstorming. Each time you engage in an activity that reminds you of another you\u2019d like to tackle, write it down. You may also find that summer vacation puts more fun opportunities in your path than you\u2019re able to take advantage of. Whenever you have to pass something up that you had hoped to do or see, write it down on your list.<\/p>\n

4. Make use of the mental space.<\/strong>
\nDuring the school year when you\u2019re juggling many demands on your attention, it can be hard to think straight. But when you have downtime during the summer \u2013 whether at home or while away on vacation, your mind has a chance to settle. The free mental capacity allows for better idea generating. Take an afternoon to lie on a hammock or beach chair and allow your mind to drift. See what concepts take shape. Write the best ones on your list.<\/p>\n

5. Spend well your family time.<\/strong>
\nLong car rides, lazy picnics in the park, days spent at the beach or the pool. Summer is full of non-pressured family time. One way to connect with your kids during those occasions is to pick their brains about what else they would like to do together. You could even turn it into an ongoing conversation that you return to in snippets throughout the week. Let \u201cI\u2019ve got another idea\u201d become a catch-phrase in your family.<\/p>\n

6.Get a head start on checking off your list.<\/strong>
\nSometimes it can be a downer to brainstorm a bucket list when it seems like all of the ideas are out of reach. But if you start by writing down one or two things you already have planned for the summer, you\u2019ll have the satisfaction of hitting a few targets right away . And when opportunities arise to accomplish new goals, you\u2019ll jump at them because you know where they fit into your life\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n

7. Swap out \u201cjust okay\u201d for \u201ctotally awesome.\u201d<\/strong>
\nWhat may seem like a great idea to us, the parents, may not appeal as much to our kids. Giving them the chance to share what excites them most may reveal alternatives to our summer plans. After all, wouldn\u2019t you much rather have some totally awesome experiences together than keep dragging your kids on \u201cjust okay\u201d excursions? You\u2019ll get a better sense too of which ideas fit the ages of your kids and which ones need to wait a year or two when you talk about ideas together.<\/p>\n

Question: when was the last time you brainstormed bucket list ideas with your family? Which of these reasons is the most compelling to you, in terms of having the desire to put your family dreams down on paper?<\/h4>\n

Learn more about bucket lists for families in my new e-book Family Bucket Lists.<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo credit: “Crossing off a 3rd item on the list” by Kyle Clements on Flickr via CC License<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1. Why not? You know you have a list rattling around in your brain of things you want to do before your children fly the nest. Why not write it down? You\u2019re more likely to remember the ideas you have if you keep them securely noted somewhere. And you free up your mind from thinking…<\/p>\n

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