As the warm weather becomes more and more familiar, the excitement for summer is starting to build for kids and adults alike! The arrival of summer marks an exciting opportunity to incorporate seasonal activities for your family, whether it’s exotic vacations or just a change of pace to a more laid-back normal. But amongst the anticipation there can be stress for parents; it can be difficult to juggle work and other commitments when your child’s schedule suddenly changes.
There is a lot of wonderful advice out there for summer planning, including our own post from last year https://simplycounsellingservices.com/helping-your-children-navigate-the-transition-into-summer-break/ outlining how to support your child during the transition to summer. However, most of the advice out there is focused on helping children adjust. There are fewer resources out there to support transitioning parents. Unfortunately for many of us, the end of the school year does not always mark the end of other responsibilities. This is why it is so important to remember to take care of yourself, too!
Having a child out of school leads to more demands on your time, and you may feel pressured to plan extra activities that can leave you feeling drained. Rest assured, these feelings are normal, though it is worthwhile to check in with yourself to make sure you are avoiding burnout. There is a definite balance, especially with more anxiety-prone parents, between planning a superstar summer and feeling guilt about not doing enough.
Fortunately, there are strategies to mitigate the pressure of summer on parents! Having family, friends, or a babysitter step in periodically can be a huge support. Even when these resources aren’t available, your child can help out too! Consider whether incorporating these three suggestions could be helpful for your family:
Have your child help brainstorm a summer bucket list.
You don’t need to plan lavish vacations to have something exciting to look forward to! Something as simple as visiting a favourite playground can become an adventure when kids plan and execute the idea themselves. By becoming involved in the planning process, you can get an idea of your child’s expectation for their summer. Kids experience a sense of accomplishment when they have the opportunity to plan through, and it will give them something to look forward to on a more long-term scale. This project can be made into a craft activity by creating a “Summer Fun” poster. You can periodically check your bucket list as a family, allowing for reflection on past activities and sparking renewed excitement. Having a summer bucket list of fun activities, big and small, will also allow for some direction when the inevitable “I’m bored” surfaces!
Maintain a chore schedule.
Doing chores is incredibly beneficial! Studies have shown that kids who grew up doing chores are more successful and happier later in life. It also builds self-worth, confidence, work ethic, and empathy in children as young as three years old. Maintaining a chore schedule will provide some of the structure that children inevitably lose when school ends. It also provides an opportunity to reward your child for keeping their commitments. What’s more, sharing responsibility throughout the family helps take some of the workload away from the parents.
Allow age-appropriate unsupervised time.
It can be nerve-wracking to leave your child unsupervised! Depending on their age, varying degrees and situations of alone time may be appropriate. Yet no matter the age, all kids benefit from free play. Unsupervised time boosts kid’s creativity, awareness of danger, independence, and ability to self-regulate. Whether playing at a playground down the block, in the backyard, or simply in another room, allow your child to pass time without a structured activity. These times will allow you as a parent to have a break from planning and entertaining, while promoting the development of your child!
Start planning now how you can set yourself up for a peaceful and guilt-free summer! Always take care of yourself, and don’t be afraid to say no to things if your schedule feels unmanageable. And of course, have fun!
To help make summer more manageable for both kids and parents, we have created two simple printable resources you can start using right away! One is our Simply Summer Bucket List to help your child brainstorm and take ownership of their summer fun, and the other is our Simply Chore Chart to maintain structure and shared responsibility. These tools are designed to encourage independence, reduce parental stress, and make summer feel a little more organized—and a lot more enjoyable. Click the link below to download the resources now!