As summer approaches children are feeling excited about the freedom they will have over the coming months, but parents are often left feeling anxious about how to keep children entertained for all those hours! Parents also worry about children falling behind academically over the summer. I think it is important to maintain as consistent a schedule as possible during the summer. By this I mean sticking to the same wake and bedtime schedule as well as the same daily schedule such as morning routines, meal times, bedtime routines, and chores. To fill all of that extra time you may consider extracurricular activities such as sports or camps. This can become financially draining as well as time consuming depending on your family’s situation so an alternative is to get creative with ways to have fun at home.
Here is an interesting and well organized take on summertime at home. This schedule mixes things up between academics, household chores, structured fun, and free time fun. It is important to keep in mind that school is stressful for a lot of children and it is a lot of work these days! So don’t feel the need to stress academics during this well-deserved break but do keep some routines consistent and monitor that your children are engaging in something active most days rather than lounging in front of the television.