Close Quarters

Summer is coming. The kids are going to be underfoot for the next three months, and there is nowhere to hide. If you home school, you might be thinking, “get on my level,” but for most families the next few weeks can be a very stressful transition. Everyone is excited about vacation and free time, but these things are a double-edged sword. At some point, the lack of structure usually starts to get on everyone’s nerves, and the tension starts to climb alongside the temperature. On this episode of A Time to Sharpen, we’ll talk with Thomas Brown, the house supervisor at Whetstone Boys Ranch, about ways to manage all this extra time, including the inevitable complaints about being “bored.” We’ll suggest a few “hard-fast flexibles” to help you navigate the often contradictory need for choice and for boundaries.