06/09/2022
Schools Out for Summer (Tips and Ideas for parents with kids home all summer)
The kids are out of school and no one knows what to do. Here are some quick tips for determining what summer could look like for you and your kids.
First, determine what the anchor points are for the summer. For example are there camps that the kids will be attending? Are there daily expectations that they need to complete such as feeding pets or chores? Is there an expectation that they spend a certain amount of time outside each day, or get exercise such as riding a bike? If so, set those expectations up front, put them on a calendar that everyone can see. When we determine these big daily activities then the smaller stuff can fit around it.
Second, set some boundaries for technology use. It's easy to fall into the habits of just turning on Netflix, video games, or having unending access to a cell phone or tablet. Set the boundaries at the beginning of the summer rather than having to pull them back when you feel like they are being misused. If you don’t want video games played in the morning, set that as the expectation. If Netflix can only be watched for 1 hour a day, set that as the standard. If phones taken into bedrooms means that no chores get completed, then have chore done before getting the phone for the day. Ask kids to turn off or stop using technology at a pre-determined point at night, to help them to get ready for bed time.
Third, set some regular times for going to bed and getting up. This is important for the weekdays especially. I can be later that a school schedule bed time. Going to bed consistently late tends to wreak havoc on sleep schedules. So even if the time is an hour or an hour and a half later than normal, have a regular bed time for kids. Have them turn their phone in or turn it off. Sleep schedules are really important to the developing mind of an adolescent.
Fourth, chores are good for kids! They won’t like me saying this, but kids need chores to learn responsibility. They shouldn’t be overwhelming and the amount of time should be really small for little kids, and have reasonable increase for older ones. For teens, 2-3 chores and expectations each day, their bedrooms should be part of this, but 1 or 2 common area chores are helpful too. When everyone contributes to the household, it helps everyone to feel valued.
Last, create regular time for family activities. This may be 2 nights a week for dinner together, playing a game, watching a movie or going on a family walk. I recommend a couple of times a month to have a bigger activity on a weekend that includes the whole family for at least half of the day. Taking the time to plan the activities at the beginning of the summer or monthly will insure that you don’t fall in to the trap of last minute expectations that can leave everyone frustrated. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail.
