Summer is Coming! Is Your Family Ready?

Every June, teachers, parents and school staff see children’s behaviors and acting out increase as our students become both excited and nervous about the BIG upcoming change, SUMMER BREAK!!!  Kids and adults both do better with structure and routine, even in the summer. That’s even more true for kids with emotional or developmental issues. Structure makes kids with anxiety, ADHD or autism feel safe and comfortable.  Think of how less productive we are on days that we sleep in late, don’t eat breakfast until lunch time and have no deadlines to meet that day. Following some basic rules can make summer easier to handle and more fun for everyone!

1.       Keeping to your child’s usual bedtimes and meal times is important. Posting the day’s schedule helps kids move from one activity to another. Planning activities ahead of time, like going to the playground or pool every day, gives kids structure they can depend on. Then you can schedule other activities around that. Kids who thrive on predictability and are prone to panic over transitions—including those on the autism spectrum—benefit from posted schedules that outline what will happen throughout the day (i.e., 7am: Wake up, go to the bathroom, wash face…8am: breakfast…) Depending on your child’s developmental level, simple pictures can also help.  Try out a dry erase calendar or make your own colorful and creative summer family calendar together.  Kids love being involved in family meetings, decisions, and activities as it boosts their self-esteem and confidence and helps them feel like an important and valued member of the family.

2.       Rules for behavior are important, too. It’s good to pick a few “good” behaviors you want your child to work on. You can reward kids for good behaviors with stickers or a special outing. And ignoring as many minor “bad” behaviors as you can teaches kids that acting out won’t get them what they want.  You could also focus on something new.  Try something new!  Your child may benefit from focusing on something that he or she didn’t have time for during the school year – learning to play guitar or learning a new craft or exploring places and spaces around the city that are unfamiliar, for example. Or maybe your child wants to try participating in soccer or once a week swim lessons. The same is true for you. Not having to drive your children to so many different programs may free you up to try something new too.

3.      Balance is important.  As you think of the summer months ahead, consider that each of you will benefit from productive/work time (full or part-time jobs, volunteer work, chores around the home and yard) alone time, time with friends and time as a family.  For a younger child, day or overnight camp is a perfect level of summer holiday productivity. For an older child, a position as a camp counsellor or working at an office or store – even part time – would be good use of their time. These planned activities do not have to be for the entire summer holidays.  Try to balance productive time with leisure time spent with family, friends and relaxing on one’s own.

4.      Keep brain cells from dying. Even though it’s tempting to put away anything that remotely resembles school work, try to maintain some connection to what the kids learned in their previous school year. Try to have fun while doing so –complete worksheets specifically designed for students in their grade or play games that foster learning without them even realizing it.  Start a family book club or summer reading challenge.  Explore what the Medicine Hat Public Library offers for children’s and teen’s programming in the summer, there is always something going on at our library!

Meet-ups and other online groups are a great way of connecting your child with other kids and families who might make good matches for playdates. Outdoor activities are important for kids. If day camp is an option, it can provide great structure and fun outdoor activities that keep kids from spending too much time in front of screens. If your kid has anxiety, it’s good to figure out what’s triggering it. Then you can take baby steps to make those fears less scary.

Even if you do everything you can to prepare for summer, it’s normal for kids to act out more over vacation. That’s tiring for parents. It’s important take care of yourself during the long summer break, too. Hiring a sitter for a few hours or asking family members to pitch can make a big difference.  Hopefully you’ll find these tips helpful as you plan for your best summer yet!  For more support and ideas, don’t forget to checkout our parent education newsletter for information on all the amazing  classes, groups, and activities we will be offering at Bridges Family Programs throughout the summer.  Make sure to follow our Facebook page to stay up to date on all of our FREE play at the park events.  We can’t wait to see you and your family out and about this summer!!

Information Source:  https://childmind.org/article/strategies-for-a-successful-summer-break/

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