I was introduced to the concept of ‘18 Summers’ only recently. If you are not familiar yourself I am about to drop a bit of a truth bomb: You only get 18 summers with your kids whilst they are, well, still kids. Kind of obvious when you think about it but, at the same time, it’s one of the things you are told that you either gloss over or stubbornly choose not to accept as your reality. A bit like “Treasure every moment - time will fly past” and you’re thinking ‘My 4 year old just laid down on the floor of the supermarket and refused to move because I wouldn’t buy her a bottle of Chardonnay with a picture of a duck on the label. How fast is time flying exactly? Fast enough to result in a sonic boom? I’ll take it!’.
Then you’re smiling to yourself and seeing the semi-funny-side of it as, hey, who hasn’t bought a bottle of wine just for the label?! And then you’re doing the mental maths and working out exactly how many more summers you have left of all the things your kids do that make your head spin, or take deep breaths in a cupboard whilst muttering ‘naughty words’, or smile until your face hurts and your heart swells.
Damn you proverbial hourglass.
Jim and Jamie Sheils had the right idea when they set up the brilliant 18 Summers process which contains 3-steps to deepen your relationship with your child and is “the ultimate family formula for lifelong parent-child connection, trust, bonding, respect, and experience.” Jim and Jamie are also the authors of ‘The Family Board Meeting’ - a book “for creating that parent-child relationship you’ve always imagined…Filled with trust, meaning, love, mutual respect, and life-long connection.” We recommend taking a look at both!
The intention of this article isn’t to tell parents that they have to make every moment magical and unforgettable. That just isn’t realistic or sustainable. It’s about setting the stage for maximising the opportunities for magic in family time - from the big moments right down to the smallest things we might normally take for granted or not even notice.
So many of the 100+ families Boundless Life has welcomed, since it first opened its doors in February 2022, have highlighted the opportunity Boundless creates for families to spend quality time together. To refill the family time tank to the brim. To have the time to breathe and appreciate the small things in life that make a big difference. Others have noted significant self-development in both parents and children alike, an improved family dynamic, and leave more united with memories to cherish.
“We are leaving our first Boundless cohort feeling like we really know our kids and that we are closer to them and more present with them than we have ever been. We leave feeling closer to our physical community and the people that make it than we have in our adult lives. We leave with dozens of learnings around how we can show up better for our family and our community going forward and we are grateful for all of it.”
Justine and Eric Janssen (parents to 4 incredible mini-Janssens)
Boundless Life would love to welcome you and your family to spend at least one of the 18 Summers with us in one of our locations.
Imagine being able to participate in a truly unforgettable summer with your family whilst having the ability to carry out your work duties as needed - all whilst your children make new friends and learn new skills via a forward-thinking summer education programme. Now picture this taking place in Sintra, Syros or Tuscany and you have all the ingredients for an epic, never-forget Summer Exploration Experience with Boundless Life! Your summer childcare woes as working parents - solved! Better than solved, in fact…
5 Reasons why this is more than a summer camp!
- Connect with the Boundless community sharing the experience with you, and reconnect with your family and yourself
- Discover the benefits of slow travel and immerse yourself in the local culture
- Learn new skills via carefully curated Discovery Activities that leverage the best features of your chosen destination. Surfing in Sintra and Sailing in Syros are just two examples of the activities lined up. The Discovery programming is not just for the kids either - parents can join in the fun too!
- Children will benefit from an instant group of friends AND an inspiring and engaging education programme - including weekly field trips!
- Access to our coworking Hub should you need to get work done.
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