Well, the school year is finally coming to a close. Whew! Many of you may have some anxiety about navigating the transition from the highly predictable school routine to the lazy unpredictable days of summer. The good news is there are some things you can do.
Our tips for this month-
Work with your child to set summer routines. There three types of routines. Try and keep these as simple and manageable as possible.
- Non-negotiable (bedtime, hygiene, personal responsibility)
- Team routines (chores, shared responsibilities, and shared spaces)
- Self-designed routines (work or volunteer time, activities, time with friends, technology)
How to collaborate to design a routine.
- Set aside time when you and your family can devote an hour to building a summer expectations document.
- Your child should have as much input as possible on each decision. Their investment in the creation of Summer expectations is critical to their willingness to follow through. As Jonathan Jones states, “ if they are not the architect of the plan, they are the demolition crew.”
- Be sure you know what your child’s motivators are and build those into the plan. If it is spending money; build in an allowance. If it is time with you; plan daily or end of the week activity together. You get the idea.
Let us know if you have any particular tip and tricks that are working for you this summer!
