It's summer. Do you know what your child is doing?
Summer is a favorite time of year for many people, especially kids. Here are some ways to help your child have a well-balanced and healthy three month vacation.
We use the computer and television as a babysitter. Limit computer, television and video games to a certain amount of time each day. Don't allow your child to sit mindlessly in front of the tube for hours on end. I know too many kids who have admitted to me at the ripe “old age of eight” that they are “addicted” to video games and do nothing else. Don't allow your kid to become a “vidiot.”(video + idiot)
We don't care if our kids lounge around the house and become “bored” all summer. Find an outdoor activity that your child enjoys. Capitalize on their interest and enroll them in a youth camp or class that will provide them the time to explore this sport. Physically active kids perform better in all areas of life.
We don't take our kids to the library, as we are too busy. Take your child to the library this summer. Public libraries often have reading programs that offer rewards to kids for reading. Find a topic or a series of books which interest your child and this will be very motivating. Kids who enjoy reading are more successful in school and more likely to attend college.
We don't give our kids chores and responsibilities in the summer. Give your child some chores around the house to accomplish this summer. Maybe it is cleaning out a closet and donating out-grown clothes and toys to a charity. But get your kids busy doing something productive to help you and your family get organized.
Our kids are getting to bed too late and waking up every morning by afternoon. Of course it is summer and there will be late nights and sleeping in late many mornings. But don't consistently allow you child to go to bed too many hours after their normal bedtime and then sleep late into the morning. Drastically changing sleep routines now will only cause problems in September when school begins again.
We want our kids to have “fun” in the summer and we fail to supervise what they are doing. Summertime is no reason to stop supervising what your kids are doing, where they are, who they are with and establish curfews. Parents still have to be the boss regardless of the season.
We forget to think about potential summer dangers. Your child will be outside this summer enjoying the warm weather and probably swimming. Talk about pool and beach safety, revisit the importance of wearing sunscreen, of driving too fast, and picking the right friends. If your child does not know how to swim, this is the time to get them some instruction. Summer is a carefree time, but even “fun” can have potentially tragic consequences.
We don't schedule our child's annual check-ups with their pediatrician, half-yearly visit with the dentist and use this time for these appointments before the school year begins. Make these appointments while your child is off from school and avoid your child missing instruction time during the school year for these visits.
We become too busy arranging our own social lives and trying to accomplish our own tasks that we neglect to take time on a regular basis to talk to our child. We all have things to do in the summer, just like any other season. But don't become so overwhelmed with your own social life and mundane tasks that you forget to talk to your child. Try to include your child in the ordinary things that you need to accomplish this summer and share some time together. Family vacations are also a good time to become reacquainted with your child again. Use the long car rides and wait time at the airport to spend time to forge a special closeness with your child.
We don't think about what school items and clothes that our child will need in September. Plan ahead and make a list as to what your child will need in the fall. Watch out for sales and keep your eyes open for bargains now before the crunch of “Back to School” sales forces you to buy whatever is left. During the summer, there are usually several “Back to School” sales and so try to check out the early ones for the best selection and quantities. Waiting to the last minute will only bring aggravation and added expense.
We become so busy with our individual goals that we forget to take time to be together as a family. Summer is the perfect time to slow down from the rat race of the fast paced life. Instead of keeping everyone going in separate directions, take some time this summer and do things together as a family.
Summertime can be everyone's favorite time of year, if we take the time to enjoy
the natural change of pace and each other. Special activities, barbeques, family time and just relaxing are all what makes summer so special. So be an involved parent this summer and make some great memories!
