At this point in May, summer break from school is just around the corner. For many kids, this is an exciting time with anticipation of summer and fun activities ahead. For others, it can be a source of stress (whether vocalized or not) with uncertainty around activities and frequent transitions from one camp or activity each week to the next. In other instances, it can be the start of a long period of free time with little structure. In a similar way, parents may have different views on summer. Some may welcome the change of pace. Others may dread balancing work with the kids being around more during the day or having to figure out logistics week by week if the activities change.
While each family’s circumstances are somewhat different, here are some strategies that you can start executing now to help ensure a smooth transition into summer for parents and kids alike.
- Plan out summer week by week and write this down. Having each camp, trip, or weeks with no activities laid out in a calendar can be helpful for kids to visualize their schedule and for parents as well. For weeks with no set activities, deciding on adding in certain elements of structure, activities, and expectations ahead of time can be helpful. For example, maybe you want your child to spend 30 minutes each day working on summer homework, one hour getting physical activity in, and 20 minutes practicing the guitar. As long as they accomplish those things, perhaps you give them autonomy to use the rest of the day however they want. Some kids benefit from a higher level of structure than others. Furthermore, regardless of how kids spend their days, trying to maintain some basic elements that work well during the school year such as concrete bedtimes can be important for optimal functioning and health.
- Figure out logistics now for drop off and pickup times for camps. If you typically need to be at work by a certain time, make sure these times work with your schedule and if needed, see if the camps offer early morning or after camp extended hours. Similarly, if you have multiple kids and they are going different places, think through how you will drop off each child and whether issues with overlap occur. Once you plan out these items, make sure to update a work and/or personal calendar to ensure that you do not schedule meetings that conflict.
- For weeks with no activities, think through, especially for younger kids, how you are going to balance work (if applicable) with supervising your kids and spending time with them. If needed and feasible, even doing half day camp programs or setting up a playdate schedule where you rotate with a few other parents can help give you some time for work and household things so that you can make the most of the time with your kids.
- The summer can be a great opportunity for kids to try new activities, especially those that they don’t have time during the school year to do. Talking with your kids and seeing what they might want to try (i.e., playing an instrument, learning to play tennis) and figuring out what is feasible to set up through a structured camp, clinic, private lesson, or for you to allocate time to teach your child the new thing yourself could work well.
I hope these strategies are helpful as you prepare for summer.
