Sunny Side Upbringing by Maria Dismondy

Author:Maria Dismondy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Published: 2019-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

CALENDAR BY TODAY’S SPECIAL USA ON ETSY.

SUMMER CONTINUED

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Get out a blank calendar and write down all the trips, appointments and camps you already have scheduled. Side note on camps: try to avoid scheduling too many. Think of how you feel when you are constantly on the go. Kids want lazy days at home in the summer. They want to play with their friends and let their brains take a break from organized activities.

Next, start looking for dates for the free things your children may enjoy doing, like community concerts, magicians at the library, etc. These are great activities for the days when you know by 10 a.m. that you and the kids will need to get out to stay sane. Write these down in the calendar in pencil so you can stay flexible and go where the wind takes you.

Next, make a summer bucket list. Sit down with your children and ask THEM what they want to do, as well as what they want to learn. Summer is a great time to spend energy on tricky life skills, like learning to ride a bike or learning to water ski. Add what you want, as well as what your partner wants to do during the summer, too.

There are parents out there who dread the summer months. And I totally don’t judge you. You just need to plan for some fun on your summer calendar that works for YOU. This might help: enact a family “park challenge” where your goal is to visit a local park once a week. It’ll give you focus and help the summer days feel less overwhelming. Make a list of these parks and let your child mark it off each week after you’ve accomplished your visit. You can swap out “park challenge” with beach, library, restaurant, farm, etc., depending on your likes and location.

Think less is more. I try to mix up time inside with time outside. As wonderful as the weather is during Michigan summers, it’s important to get out of the sun and have a plan for rainy days. Local museums are a fun option; libraries, too. Our local movie theater offers free movies once a month in the summer. Total bonus to save $30 and be in air conditioning on a hot day.

As for chores and routines during the summer, I post a flexible routine to give my kids a sense of what’s happening that day. It includes outdoor play time, learning time, quiet time, field trips, baking, etc. It also includes a chore chart. I introduced this after I heard, “I’m bored, what are we doing next?” on the first official day of summer break last year. (Really, kid?) But I get it. After the structure of school goes away it can feel weird for kids, so providing some general structure for their little brains to latch onto can really help.

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