With summer fast approaching and parents lining up activities, camps, and babysitting, we offer you a few suggestions for making a smooth transition to summer!
1 - Make a schedule with some structure : the kids are use to a structure all year long, in order to help them maintain healthy boundaries, continue to use time constructively, and have a minimum of stress make some sort of schedule that everyone can live with.
2- Try to maintain consistent wake and bedtimes, this will help insure that when school begins in the fall there is a minimum of adjustment and transition related dilemmas.
3- Strike a balance between unstructured leisure time and structured activities; this will help kids to stay involved, keep boredom at bay, and prevent the summer from turning into one large never ending video game playing event!
4- Ask your child(children) what they would like to do! Give them choices, encourage them to make decisions for themselves (perhaps from a list of items you construct) that way they get some experience making decisions that have a beneficial impact on their lives before they have really big ones to make. Allowing our kids to make their own decisions improves self efficacy and self esteem.
5- Have a list of "go to" rainy day alternatives that you can quickly pull out should the need arise.
6- If your child has classroom behavior management goals, academic work over the summer, or goals set with a school psychologist; know what these are and incorporate them over the break that way when it is back to school time they will be ahead of the game not behind it.
6- Lastly and most importantly have fun! Time off from school should be a positive time for bonding, furthering your relationship with your child (children) and building memories.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)