Summer Organization

By Deb Morgans

Time to get your kids organized for summer and keep your sanity

Are your kids getting tired and ready for summer? Those last few weeks of school can be the most difficult. Knowing that your children need some down time is a good thing but getting them ready for summer can be frustrating. We can help.

First of all, it is important to clean up this past school year. As the school days come to an end, a good tip is to find a place at the beginning of the year where you can collect school papers, reports and other things from your child’s schoolwork. I use a bin or a shelf for each of my children and just put everything in there as the year progresses. I usually do not throw anything away until I clean it out at the end of the year because I always find that my child needs something they have forgotten to turn in at a later time. At the end of the school year, I go through the papers and take a sample of every subject along with some art work and special reports. I put them in a folder and write the school year on the front and file it in a memories box for my child to look at later. Or, ask your child to help you pick out the things you both would like to keep. This helps give them closure on the year and is a way to build them up about their success they just finished. It is a good way to see progress over the years and you have an automatic portfolio of your child’s work! My children love to go back through those memories on a rainy or snowy day.

Then comes getting ready for summer; I find the summer the most difficult for children.
The first few weeks are always great. They play, they hand around, day events are planned but then all of a sudden we, as parents, cannot wait for school to begin again. They start to get bored or seem unglued at times. I started realizing that what they need is some sort of summer routine. All children do best when they know what is coming. That is why they can be so successful in school. Routine is the key. Of course, we do not want to routine them out during the summer, BUT it is important for them to have some sort of schedule or balance in their summer days. Too much of any one thing as they say is not good. So, make sure your days are balanced with outside activities, reading, a short amount of TV, games and events that engage their minds and bodies.

And, if your child was struggling in a subject during the school year, integrate some basic skills in their day as summer moves on. There are plenty of ways to keep a child’s skills up in the summer without making it feel like school. Visiting the library is a great example and most of them have a summer reading program that will work toward a reward. And there are many skill books in our bookstores that will help children keep up. Just have a time where your child will complete a few pages each day or every other day. Other examples of keeping children engaged are letting them help plan mid-day meals, shop for the items and prepare them also. Cooking is a great skill and children love to eat.

In closing, remember that they need to be outside in the sunlight daily so don’t forget the sunscreen. Outside chores are a good way to engage the video game child. And one final note…we tend to let them have a “whatever” time you want to stay up till attitude in the summer; however, that really works against our children and their ability to self regulate when they are too tired. So, some days are good to say ok but it is better to try to stick to a routine time even if it is just a little later then the school year. You will find that your child has a much better time making positive decisions during the day, interacting with other children and feeling good about themselves. And, you will find that you feel better yourself!

Blessings to you and your family for a fun, safe and healthy summer!