Ava, Lili and Wrenna -- sisters enjoying a great summer
It’s summer – long days and no school make parents
busy planning how to keep their children happy. No
parent wants to see those long days disappear on
television and worse – boredom.
But how do children think about happiness and
summer? I interviewed girls of three different ages
in one family to get their thoughts. All three said that
they had always been happy, that they like being with
their family. These lucky girls have parents who take
an active interest in their delight in life, and encourage
their passions.
10
The youngest Wrenna is a duct tape artist. We started
talking and she showed me a large box filled with
bright coloured wallets, cell phone covers, and even a
purse. I had no idea
duct tape came in so many colours
and patterns, bright reds,
and blues, ice cream patterned,
leopard skin duct tape?
Wrennna laughed. Her wallets
are very pro – lots of sections for cards, money stamps.
Plus she paints.
Suddenly her sister covered the table in
Wrenna's brilliant canvasses. Her level of creativity,
and skill was impressive. This summer she is going to
be going camping with her family, and she loves that activity.
and skill was impressive. This summer she is going to
be going camping with her family, and she loves that activity.
The only thing she could think of that ever made her unhappy
was a giant salad that she didn’t like, a terrific
indication that
this is a happy child.
11 almost 12
Lili who is going into Grade 7 loves being with
her family, going on bike rides, visiting her
grandfather on his farm. She loves travelling with
her family. “We went to Argentina and that was so
much fun!"
Like many preteens she enjoys socializing
with friends. “My family is funny and jokes around a lot,”
she says. The only thing that makes her unhappy is
when her sisters get “in her business,” go into her room.
This summer she’s going to Miakonda, a summer
camp, where she’ll sleep in a tent with her fellow
campers. She’s looking forward to doing arts and
crafts and canoeing there.
Family camping is a highlight of her summer too.
“We like going hiking and canoeing.
Once we saw
a moose, and that was really cool.” We’ll spend a
lot of time at the cottage.
In quiet moments Lili loves reading and is reading
the Harry
Potter books now. She’s read
Anne of Green
Gables, and The Hunger Games. Plus she likes
poetry.
She is an artist too.
She brought me a large canvas
painted in acrylics in a deep rose colour, then cut in
an abstract
pattern so the edges curled. The
painting
was both a painting and sculptural -- and shows real
talent.
13
Ava is very happy about the summer vacation because
she is going to visit one of her aunts in San Francisco
alone. She says she can’t wait to go to the farmers'
markets and the
street fairs while she’s
there.
The teenager says that she’s always been happy.
She loves listening to music. I
asked her about her
favorite groups. She likes Pamplemousse,
Walk of the Earth, and Mumford and Sons.
During the school year her parents have strict
rules about when she can text, call or use Facetime.
“No iPad after 9 o’clock, no talking to people you
don’t know, no iPad, or TV on school days. So
now
that school’s out it's great that she can enjoy her iPadany time she says laughing.
If she gets sad or moody, she says it helps to
think about
why she’s sad, listen to happy music,
or watch a super TV show like Glee.
Kids are not that different from adults. What makes
them happy is being active and following their
interests. This summer these sisters will have plenty
of occasions to
experience the kind of time that will
create warm memories of a great summer when
they are back in school.
