Mid Summer Chaos

Where did the summer go? It is almost the middle of July.
Some of you have taken a vacation and some of you are
probably going soon. What does this mean in the chaos of
summer?

Summer is supposed to place us at a slower pace, but in reality
it takes more scheduling than during the school year in most
cases. Whether you are a stay at home or working parent,
finding activities and quality care can be challenging. It seems
that even though our economy is in a difficult place,
the cost of services is still on the rise. This means we all had
to be more strategic in our planning. Perhaps we pooled time
with a neighbor or friend in helping to care for each other's
children or we were able to work out a flexible schedule
with a spouse or at your job to have someone at home in shifts.
As parents, we know that we would do anything for our children
in making sure they had the best possible care available.

Summer comes with stressors. If not the scheduling, it is more
the unscheduled child. It is all about balance. It is important
that there still be some sort of schedule during the summer.
A good plan is to divide play, electronic activity, learning and
quiet time in proportion. Since summer is ideal for sunshine and
outdoor activities, it is good to get the kids outside as much as
possible. All activities can be done outdoors when the weather
permits. Summer is a great time to reinvent those games that
require motor play and interaction with friends.

With all the new technology, it is easy for our children to fall
into the trap of electronic everything! It is time to put the timer
on these activities and get those kids in more physical play with
the main goal of motivating them to keep going on this path in
the fall, winter and spring. Summer allows you habit forming fun!

As a teacher, I see less and less of children being able to just play
and use their creativity to invent new games and have fun
being relaxed...without the intervention of some sort of technology.
We all need to teach them to play regardless of their age. Even
us adults could use more play in our lives.

So the challenge for the rest of the summer is to get outside; pick
up a ball, go for a swim, ride a bike, play a game in the park
or backyard, picnic, read under a tree, sing on the swings, race
down the street, roller skate, dance, sleep under the stars, talk
to your children about the dreams, their own concerns,
find pictures in the clouds, jump in the puddles and look for rainbows.

Whatever the stressors are in your life this summer, find the balance
and get back to basics. Technology will always grow and be available.
Children will be little once and only you can laugh with them everyday!

Have a great rest of the summer!