Rest, Relax, and Recharge
Whether
your child is five or fifteen, he needs to keep busy during the summer
months. While it sounds tempting to take a break from the busy
school-year schedule, you don’t want to find yourself with a bored
child or one that sits in front of the television until school starts
again. It is important that your child gets a chance to enjoy his time
off from school, but he should also be kept occupied, stimulated, and
is able to take advantage of all that summer vacation has to offer.
Ways to keep your child busy this summer
Consider
a camp. If you are a working parent who needs your child to be engaged
in something all day every day, a camp is a great way to take a break
from the traditional childcare you use during the school year. Many
camps have full day programs, provide transportation, and offer care
before and after. It is not true that the most expensive camp in the
most exotic location is the best one. As long as your child is safe and
has fun, any camp is a good one. Many community agencies, childcare
centers, and schools offer affordable camps. Some camps even have
scholarships you can apply for. Ask friends, relatives, and other
parents for recommendations. Staff qualifications, safety and emergency
procedures, behavior management strategies, and parent communication
are some of the things to check out in a summer camp you are
considering for your child.
See what your community has to
offer. In addition to summer camps, your local community may offer a
variety of activities for children, although these may require you to
have a flexible schedule. For example, libraries have activities for
toddlers through elementary aged children during the summer months.
These can include story hours, summer reading programs, and group
activities. Children’s museums also often have special events and
activities during the summer. In addition, there are sports camps,
music camps, and other activities that your community might offer for
children that have flexible schedules.
Keep teens on their toes.
While your teen may no longer want to attend summer camp or participate
in a structured activity, she still needs to keep busy. If she is old
enough, she might be able to get a job. Some good jobs for teens
include mowing lawns, babysitting, or pet sitting. However, be sure
that your teen understands the responsibilities she is taking on and
that she has some practice or training. There are training programs
that teens can go through to become better prepared to babysit. Find
out if your work or that of a friend or relative is looking for some
summer help. Another good option is volunteering. Many hospitals or
libraries have opportunities for teens. If all else fails, give your
teen something constructive to do at home, like watching a younger
sibling, painting, or cleaning out the garage or basement and having a
yard sale. While your teen will want to have some down time to hang out
with friends, make sure you know where she is and that she is safe.
Pencil
in some family fun. Make sure that you take some time to enjoy each
other’s company without the pressures of the school year. Some ideas
include taking a family vacation, to going to the lake or having a
picnic in the park, to attending community events such as free concerts
or fireworks.
Make time for rest and relaxation. Although you do
want your child to be active and engaged during the summer, it is easy
to over schedule. Whether you are working or not, you need a break,
too, from coordinating everyone’s schedules and activities. Take the
first and last week of summer off for both yourself and your child, and
just relax, sleep in, and hang out at home.
Don't forget about
school! Make sure you find out if your child’s school expects or
recommends any academic preparation for the upcoming school year. Even
in elementary grades, many schools have reading lists of books that
students can read over the summer, and you should encourage your child
to do this. In older grades, your child might be required to do some
schoolwork. Many teachers are in their classrooms at some point over
the summer, and it might be a good idea to take your child to visit his
new teacher and classroom. Also, try to find out ahead of time what
books or supplies will be needed in the fall so you can get a head
start on that back to school shopping!
This article appears courtesy of OneToughJob.org, a parenting website owned and operated by the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund.
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