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You are here: Home / GreatDad Blog / Summer projects

Summer projects

June 21, 2012 by Paul Banas Leave a Comment

My kids are now 8 and 12. Their summer interests are as varied as they are. They mostly want to spend the summer enjoying a break from the modern pressures of school and harried carpool structure. But like many or most of us, with the summer spread out before them, they have big dreams for what can be accomplished in the next three months. My son wants to build as many Legos as he possibly can, while playing as much Wii as I will allow him to experience during long playdates with his pals.

His older sister has started off with grander dreams, with written out schedules down to the quarter hour. She has bargained with us to motivate her with $10 if she completes a math review workbook during the summer. She plans to memorize one poem a week since we give her a dollar for every poem over 20 lines she memorizes (So far, she has memorized “The Road Less Traveled.”). She does brain exercises and yoga. She has elaborate plans for balloon fights, lemonade stands, and a project involving clothespins, glue and magnets. She keeps up with her hour-a-day piano lessons and finds time to read voraciously on her Kindle.


We Didn’t’ Start the Fire

The project, however, that I love the best is her “We didn’t start the fire” deconstruction. After hearing the old Billy Joel song a dozen times during car trips and using it to fuel discussions on American and world history, my wife and I challenged our daughter to figure out what every line and reference means. My daughter loves learning, but she loves money as well, and promptly said, “How much will you give me?” I did rough calculations in my mind: there must be at least a hundred or more references in that song, each requiring at least a sentence or two to explain its context. I offered $50 which seems puny in comparison to the size of the task. At 12, I had barely the motivation to put on my shorts during long, hot Minnesota summers. She wants to take on understanding the latter half of the twentieth century as a break from school. I’ve already warned her that “Suez Canal” can’t be just “canal at Suez.” Each description has to long enough so that someone who doesn’t know could also understand what the name or term means and why it’s important. This exhausts me just thinking about it.

If there’s a lesson in all of this it’s in letting kids set their summer agendas and finding things that motivate them. I couldn’t have imagined how full and varied her summer would be until she wrote out a list of the 30 things she wants to accomplish. If she does even half of them, it will be impressive, though she has to finish the workbook, the poems, and the long, long Billy Joel project if she wants to score the cash.

Filed Under: GreatDad Blog

About Paul Banas

Paul Banas is happy married dad of two great kids living in San Francisco. He writes now about kids, new technology and how the two interact for GreatDad.com and for Pregnancy Magazine (pregnancymagazine.com) where he is also the publisher.

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Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
byPaul Banas

In this episode of Great Dad Talks, guest Zach Watson dives deep into the often-misunderstood topic of “mental load” in modern partnerships and parenting. Zach, known for his educational and relatable takes on invisible labor in relationships, shares how the mental and emotional workload disproportionately impacts women—often in ways that go unrecognized by men.

Whether you’re struggling with household challenges, feeling disconnected from your partner, or just want to strengthen your role as a dad and partner, this episode is for you. 

Check out Jim’s website at zachthinkshare.com

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