Summer is here! Now is the time to come up with a summer schedule. Kids do much better with a routine and it will be easier for you to keep your sanity. Here are five tips on how to survive family home for the summer.
- Activity & Goal Sheet. Sit down with the kids and pull out a sheet to come up with activities for the summer. Include vacations, visits to family, swim days, park days, summer camps, service projects, etc. Attached is a sample activity/goal list. When kids help contribute ideas, they are more inclined to want to do them. When kids tell you they are bored, refer to the activity list.
- Kids calendar. Create a visible summer calendar on the fridge for the kids so they know what to look forward to. When kids know there are things planned, that helps them to prepare and give structure to their lives.
- Set a daily routine. Even though kids do not need to get up as early as they did for school, set a routine for the summer. An example would be the following: regular bedtime/wake-up time, meal time, exercise, school workbook or reading time, inside/outside chores, practice instrument, outside play time, and go on an outing (park, swim, hike, walk). It’s okay to have time to relax too!
- Activity Resources. Libraries and recreation centers are great resources for kids. Libraries will have scheduled reading activities. Recreation centers will have a summer schedule of events. Dial 211 if you would like to find out about volunteering opportunities in your area. Craft stores like https://www.michaels.com or https://www.joann.com will have classes for kids. Links such as https://utahfamilyfunstuff.com and https://saltlakecity.kidsoutandabout.com/homepage will tell you of current activities happening nearby.
- Keep kids busy. If you’re planning a vacation or if kids want to purchase something, have them earn it. For example, have them wash your car to earn extra money. It could turn into a fun water fight for them. Another idea is to have kids help you tackle that cluttered garage to earn extra spending money for a vacation.
What do you like to do in the summer?
Thanks for reading and please share!
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach
| 2019_summer_activties.docx |
RSS Feed