Summers should be about vacations, hanging out with friends, sleeping late, and just having fun every day. Summer is the time to kick back and take it easy. That is what our children and many adults want us to believe. As adults, do we get to take up to three months to just do what we want? Not likely. It would be so easy to fall into the routine of having summers to just enjoy. Unfortunately, that is not what the real world of most adults is like.
Instead of allowing our children to fall into a routine that they may find difficult to break later, parents can use the summer time off from school to help their children grow new routines. Although you may not want to try all ten at once, these ten summer activities are geared towards helping your child prepare for the future.
Help a Neighbor
Helping others is a way to encourage your child to look beyond their own wants and needs. Even if it is as simple as mowing the grass for someone on a fixed budget, the child can receive a sense of accomplishment. Look around your neighborhood, church, family, and friends. Is there someone that could use a helping hand? Get involved with your child with this project. Spending quality time helping others takes more energy than sitting on the couch watching a movie together, but think about the rewards.
Exercise
We have all heard of the benefits of exercise. We have been bombarded with the news reports on how many people have lazy habits that are causing obesity. It is always advisable to get a doctor to guide you in what type of exercise program is best suited to you and your child. Make the effort to get the doctor's approval and start exercising. Be a role model for your child and encourage them to follow in your footsteps. Remember, that even children need a doctor's approval before starting a new exercise regimen.
Read
It's summer. School is out and the last thing on a child's mind is school work. That does not mean that learning should stop. Reading is a necessity in life. We read every day. Okay, so the reading may be only the directions to cooking something for dinner. It is still reading. Reading is a skill that gets better with practice. If you want your child to be a better reader, you have to find ways to encourage them to read more and read regularly.
Work on Math Skills
Yes, I know school is out and math is such a bore. Instead of letting your child's math skills waste away during the summer months, look for fun and interesting ways to practice math skills. Have them help with the family shopping or budget. Math is all around us. As adults we use it more often than we realize. Encouraging your child to maintain or improve their math skills over the summer school vacation will give them a better upcoming year in school.
Research a Science or Social Studies Topic
Yes, more school work. This one comes with a twist though. Is your child interested in skateboarding? Help them research the history of skateboarding, how science is involved, or even famous skateboarders. Is your child the next rock star? History of rock or music, a famous musician, and different styles of music may be topics you would want to encourage them to try. The goal is to get your child seeing that learning is not just a school requirement. It is a lifelong journey for knowledge. The topics we learn about just change as we grow older.
Get Up Early
As a night owl, I can totally understand the draw of staying up all night and sleeping until noon. Unfortunately, that is not the schedule they will follow when school goes back in session. Changing schedules drastically takes time to adjust. If students have been sleeping until noon, when school starts back, they will lose quality learning time while their bodies adjust to the new schedule. They do not have to get up as early as during school, but try to avoid having a huge time difference between the school year and summer sleep schedules.
Reorganize their Room
Has their room been the same way for years? Take a look at it with them. Talk to them about what is important in their rooms. What do they actually use on a daily basis? Is there anything about their room that they find difficult to work around? What changes would they make if they could? Of course, they may come up with some over the top changes that are outside of the budget. Be prepared for this and explain that although it would be great, it does not fit the budget. Just simply rearranging furniture does not have to cost anything. Another freebie change is getting rid of items they no longer use.
Get a Job
So they may not be old enough to bag groceries or sling hamburgers. They can take on a chore for pay. If paying cash is not in your budget, then have them do a job for an extra privilege.
Plan for College
Even young children need to hear the importance of going to college. Talk to your child about what they think they would like to be when they grow up. Research the job with them. Find out the educational requirements for the job. Check out a variety of colleges that offer the necessary program. Although, the financial aspects of college may vary greatly from now to when your child will attend, knowing the general range of financial requirements for each college will help you and your child in planning to meet the needs to attend. See what the admission requirements are. Help your child start early in preparing to meet those requirements. Help them start a college savings fund. A jar full of found pennies is a start. It will take much more to get there, but even a baby step in the right direction will be one step closer than they were.
Learn a New Chore
When an adult is out on their own, they have to either pay someone to do what needs to be done or do it themselves. If a parent takes the time to teach their child how to do a variety of things, then the child will grow into an adult that has the ability to do more of the things that need done. Now, that is a great way to save money.
These ten things do not have to take all of the fun out of summer. Do them in moderation but do them. They are ten steps to help your child on their way to becoming a responsible adult. At the same time, they need to do fun things such as hang out with friends and enjoy activities that provide a little break from the normal day to day schedule. Balance is essential. Talk to them and work out a plan that will enable responsibility, learning, and fun.
