The Fresh Start of Summer! Sugar Free and Likely Losing My Mind

Wow - it has been so long! As a teacher, summer OFTEN allows me a spare minute or so (even though teachers do NOT get the summer off, as many think - it is a forced, unpaid furlough through which I often work to try to keep pace with the 10 months I DO get paid that I nevertheless love) and I found myself here, writing to myself! :)

Today marks the beginning of summer (mostly) for me because my current school term ended. I have a short break (with several things to wrap up, but still a break!) for the next couple of weeks before summer classes being. As a teacher, I have never NOT been on a school schedule (since my fifth year of life, anyway). Each summer marks a new beginning - a chance to reflect and redirect. I find that instead of NEW YEAR'S resolutions, I make SUMMER resolutions. And my first was to return to the discipline of daily writing. I am at the computer for my current iteration of teaching each and every day, so sitting at the computer over the summer was, at first, not appealing. (How much MORE sedentary can I get in a day!) But a change in policy at my current work led me back to the computer for the summer and so, why not? :) I will just have to do a few million jumping jacks to prevent DVT each day!

My three and one I claim as my own but who actually goes home with other parents. I think they heard about my summer plans here. :)

My second summer resolution was to go device-free as a family, with a few rare exceptions built in for birthdays or sick days and occasional video-making madness as part of an art project, etc. My expectation is that there will be much screaming and protests from a certain 4-year-old who is addicted to MLP videos on Kid's YouTube and from a certain 6-year-old who thinks Minecraft is the only reasonable afternoon activity if it is at ALL hot or at ALL cold outside. Bless.

Maybe they are plotting to save the devices from isolation?

My third summer resolution was to eliminate all added sugar. I am late to this bandwagon, but I have been doing some research (and by that I mean reading what other people researched and watching YouTube videos that seem less crazy and binge-watching documentaries on Netflix!) and have become convinced, at least temporarily, of the potential health benefits for my family. For the summer, I am limiting sugar to "natural" sugars in non-GMO foods or sparing amounts of natural sugar sources such as honey and maple syrup (no more than 12 grams a day of the sugar sources). In the fall, we will evaluate the results, and my current state of sanity. It is all about cost-benefit here!

I have heard the initial period of sugar-free will be brutal, and I believe it! My children have a love for sugar that cannot be denied, and so do I. How then will we prepare for the transition? Great question! I have no idea. I had some idea of a sugar-free pep rally, but then thought perhaps a sneak attack would be better. Perhaps a contest? Or maybe bribery? Some combination? I think it will be a lot like convincing my children that sleeping through the night is wonderful - a lot of initial complaints, some crying from all involved parties, and eventual mixed results. Fun, right?

I will update, update, update! I even bookmarked this on my favorites bar so I wouldn't forget!