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School is winding down. It’s getting nice outside.
You know what that means…SUMMER VACATION BABY!!! Oh yeah.
But not for grown ups.
That means the kids are home for the next 3 months. Naturally, you’ll sign them up for summer camps, swimming lessons, swim teams, camping activities, vacations, etc. There’s no shortage of stuff to do. The weather is nice and it’s great to spend as much time outside as possible.
But… what about those rainy days when the kids are all stuck inside?
But… what about when the humidity hits 100% and even the pool doesn’t provide respite?
But… what about when those summer storms strike and the power is knocked out for 24 hours with no TV, no phone, no video games, NO INTERNET!!???!?
Obviously…
I’m going to recommend guitar lessons. Or – to be fair – any instrument (for purposes of this article we’ll use the guitar as an example – but really any instrument will work). Here is why I recommend this activity:
Learning the Guitar Makes You Smarter:
There is a ton of research to support this (check out this short article to start). This is just generally good to begin with – but couple this extra brain/learning activity with the general lack of brain/learning activity that accompanies summer vacation and you’ve got a quick and easy way to keep your kids’ brains sharp while we wait for school to start.
It Requires You To Unplug:
Ok – well not if you’re playing the electric guitar (though I actually use a nice little battery-powered amp). All you have to do is pick it up and play. And if your child is learning something like the acoustic guitar – you can relish in the fact that they can quietly practice and play in their room.
It’s Portable:
I have students that take their guitar with them on vacation. I’ve done it too – there’s something so sweet about sitting on the porch at the beach and strumming or picking a few of your favorite songs (and secretly dreaming of being Jimmy Buffett and making a bajillion dollars… maybe that’s just me).
So there you have it. Just few reasons why it’s not a bad idea to have an indoor-contingency plan this summer. Just in case…