A fun and relaxing summer break might seem like a no brainer – but anyone who has kids knows that a successful summer break takes some planning! Here are some of our best tips for kids and parents to have the best summer break possible!
Keep a schedule: Believe it or not kids actually crave structure. A regular daily schedule can help keep everyone in the family happy. Make sure you schedule alone time so that sibling (and parent) tensions stay in check. Since it’s summer break – feel free to remain somewhat flexible, but a simple schedule can go a long way in keeping everyone happy.
Make the schedule easily visible: Kids (like adults) like to know what’s coming. Once you have a general outline of your day planned – post it somewhere that everyone in the family can see it. You can make it even more accessible by including images of each activity so even your youngest family members can know what’s next.
Let everyone help out: When kids spend more time at home clutter and mess sometimes increase. You can mitigate the mess by delegating appropriate chores to each member of the family. Increased clutter can cause tension and even resentment for the main housekeeper in any household, and makes the home environment less peaceful for everyone. When everyone takes a roll in cleaning up everyone benefits!
Make time for fun: Remember – the work of childhood is play. Give your children plenty of time for imaginative play. Provide opportunities for them to spend time outside – better yet spend time outside as a family! If possible, plan play dates with other children.
Stay positive: Positive behavior supports are a great way to motivate kids to keep up good habits and behaviors. One easy way is to provide simple rewards for behaviors that you want to see increase; for example you could let them pick dinner once a week if they meet a specific goal – like an amount of time spent reading, maintaining their bedroom, or completing their assigned chores for the week. Discuss what you expect with your child’s caregivers to ensure that expectations are clear across the board.
Spend time with your kids: If possible take extra time during the summer to really spend quality time with your children. Have dinner as a family, plan a family game night, take time to check in with your kids. Obviously it’s always important to keep lines of communication open with your kids – without the pressures of homework, summer can be a great opportunity to get to know your kids even better!
Summer break can be a magical time for kids – following these simple tips can help make it magical for adults too!