Nell O’Leary, a mother of five, advises families to say no to excess and yes to spending time together during summer vacations. The parishioner of St. Agnes in St. Paul said summer vacation can serve as a family reset.
“That means learning to navigate conflict, how to share,” O’Leary told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley and producer Kayla Mayer. “We do activities… but really focusing on building and rebuilding those sibling relations. That’s kind of the key to all.”
O’Leary said her family is willing to take advantage of good weather.
“There are so many parks and so many lakes that are free,” O’Leary said. “By Friday afternoon it’s been a long week, especially if we’ve had rain and if it’s finally sunny days, pack a big picnic lunch and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to Minnehaha Falls … Pack your good attitude and we’re going to go run, we’re going to look at the falls, the toddler will have a nap in the stroller. Just getting out into movement, I think, is part of helping them have some semblance of an interior life, too.”
O’Leary said expecting children to be on their knees praying the rosary inside doesn’t work, especially when they’re younger. Movement, however, can help build a prayer life in children.
“We pray our rosary on walks,” O’Leary said. “We go to daily Mass at the Cathedral (of St. Paul in St. Paul) early in the morning. There’s a lot of walking around the back.”
When asked how routine plays a role in summer days, O’Leary said her family’s schedule tends to be front –loaded because mornings are often when the kids have lessons. In the afternoon, the family has downtime. O’Leary emphasized the importance of having this rest after a busy morning schedule, especially for one’s own mental health.
“I need some down time. I need some rest,” O’Leary said. “It’s like a little siesta before we gear up if we’re going to go to a baseball game or going to somebody’s event that evening.”
To hear O’Leary detail how she practices her prayer life with kids, tune into the “Practicing Catholic” episode that debuts at 9 p.m. June 28 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. June 29 and 2 p.m. June 30.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the program also includes a discussion with Deacons Larry Lawinger and Dan Gannon who recap the biannual Diaconal Assembly. Also, Archbishop Bernard Hebda reminisces about the significance of the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
