Ok, so is everyone done with school or is it just us desert dwellers who start school in the middle of JULY? It seems like more and more schools are getting out earlier. But whether you’re still in the thick of school or stepping out into summer, I have lots of summer ideas for you for the next couple weeks. For today let’s start with why family reunions matter.
Because summer means family reunion season, am I right?
I know from experience that putting together a family reunion can sometimes seem a little daunting. It will be our family’s turn in the rotation to “chair” the Eyre family reunion again next summer and I’m already trying to brainstorm. Because it’s a lot of work.
Why You Should Have a Family Reunion
Despite that “lots of work” though, from someone who comes from a family who is religious about reunions every year, I’m here to say it is so worth all the time, energy, and travel to gather together as an extended family. Family reunions are powerful! It can be so easy to let even the siblings we connect with the very most with slip away in our busy lives. But gathering truly morphs siblings into best friends.
Of course, it takes more than just a family reunion in the summer, but this is such a great way to start.
How I love these people I have gathered with every summer since I can remember!
…and all those who have joined since this photo was taken, of course!
Oh, you may not see a dramatic change in relationships from one summer of gathering. But add all the continual summers compounded together of people prioritizing being together, and you’ll see some pretty powerful momentum for family love and connection.
The Social Benefits of Family Reunions
Each summer we all eagerly anticipate being together. Reunions have such power to help kids and adults alike to look outside of themselves socially. Sheer proximity…the act of being together…has the power to create family communication. And to foster family love. We stay up late talking through the world on our “talking couches,” whether in an organized activity or not.
Some of my favorite things that happen at family reunions:
- Deeper connection
- Less time on technology
- Learning from aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents as mentors
- Creating a “village” for our kids…people who love them and “get” them
- Learning the power of working together through making food, cleaning, organizing activities
- Fostering a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves
Family Reunions can Help Heal Wounds
When you’re packed in close quarters and have time to actually think about each other, it’s true that emotions can come up. We’ve had our fair share of that through the years right along with the lovey-dovey stuff. There are also, because we are all human, misunderstandings and tricky relationships in families in life. And gathering together provides such a great opportunity to heal.
I am a big believer that even the not-so-good things lead to good things. Because it’s rare for a good relationship to just “happen.” Most relationships take nurturing and time and yes, even sometimes tricky communication to get to the “good parts.”
Social Benefits Specifically for My Kids
Socially, gathering together each summer has helped my kids to learn how to make friends. How to BE friends. They have had manners modeled, good and bad. They have learned how to respect their grandparents. They have learned about their ancestors who have gone before, mostly through Grammie Camps. They have learned values and “secrets” to a happy life through “Grandfather’s Secrets.” They have learned to work together on reunion work projects. And even how to cook as we all gather around the hot kitchen to chop and blend and grill, whipping up pretty delicious food as the sun sets on the lake.
The Emotional Benefits That Last Beyond the Reunion
We were sitting around talking to our adult kids recently and someone brought up our Bear Lake family reunions. Those kids immediately got stars in their eyes. They started to reminisce past family reunions and I realized more than ever how those reunions held at Bear Lake have become sacred to my kids. Being together has woven golden threads of belonging into their souls.
It is an innate human need to know that we matter. Family reunions foster a sense of belonging. Kids develop that reality that they do matter. They are loved and wanted. They are part of something so much bigger than themselves.
ALL this can happen at family reunions! And when you have built an motional support system for you and your family, it is a pretty incredible gift.
How to Foster Deeper Connections at Your Next Reunion
With all that said, I can hardly wait for our reunion in July!
I have written all about various ways to foster connection at family reunions through the years. Here are some posts with lots of ideas:
We don’t get out until the very end of June and go back Monday after Labor Day!
In the UK, apart from Scotland, schools don’t break up until the end of July & then the children go back at the beginning of September.
I can’t believe, like Shawni said, that some schools in the US go back at the end of July/beginning of August. That seems crazy.
I often wonder if the children are allowed out to play during break time, or if it’s too hot.
This seems largely determined by region here in the U.S. In the south and southwest, school lets out and restarts much earlier than where we are in the northeast, where schools let out the middle to end of June and resume right after Labor Day as someone else noted.
I saw your post right after I posted and was wondering how on earth it managed to spell my name wrong, before I realized it wasn’t my post! 🙂
My kids get out at the end of May and go back the beginning of August. We’re pretty close in temperature to where Shawni lives, and yes, kids go out for recess during the day. The play areas are shaded – sort of. As for high school sports, they start up in August, and have mid-day practice and games even if it’s over 100 degrees (37 C) outside. They just have to take more water breaks for the games.
I’ve noticed that you don’t seem to do extended family ( your aunts and uncles and cousins) reunions. At what point did you family decide just to do your own thing and will you follow that soon, where it’s just you, Dave, your kids and grandkids?
I love the Seven Silly Eaters picture book in one of the last photos.
Vacations are placed around agricultural and tourist seasons. None of the tourist areas wants all the schools to be off the same weeks. And some of their seasons are based off when they can hire college students to work the season. And the U.S. is so spread out. Harvest comes different times.
You are on a year round schedule. You get extra weeks off during the year each season. So your summers are shorter. The people in your area must like to get away from the heat a few times a year.
One of our schools in the district tried that for 5th and younger, just one school. They closed the school a week ago for good. It was in a historic building the district wanted to sell.