Children always look forward to summer vacation, but parents aren't always sure how best to cope. For some parents, summer marks the beginning of summer camp and other activities for their children. For parents that work outside the home, summer might also mean the need for extra babysitting services. However, even stay at home parents sometimes need some suggestions for how to help their children fill the long summer days enjoyably and productively.
Provide Some Structure
Although part of the joy of summer is the lack of a strict school schedule, you will find that your children will actually appreciate some semblance of structure in their days. Setting aside certain days each week for specific activities, such as always going to the library on Mondays or having a family picnic at the park on Fridays can help. This will provide just enough structure to give children something to look forward to each week. This method will also make planning easier for you.
Try Something New
Is there a new sport or hobby that your child seems to be interested in? Summer is a great time to expand their horizons and allow them to try it. Whatever their interests are, you will probably be able to find a class or a camp that features it. Exploring their new interests can be fun as well as educational and enriching. They might just find that they have a real talent that they never knew existed.
There's More to Life than Television
Try to prevent your child from spending the whole summer just watching television. This also applies to video games and other sedentary activities. Instead, find ways of getting them interested in outside activities such as sports which will provide them with some exercise and physical activity. After all, there's plenty of time during the cold winter months for television.
Encourage Summer Reading
Reading during the summer months will help keep your child's skills sharp. Additionally, encouraging a child's love of reading is a gift you can give them that will serve them well throughout their entire life. Many public libraries have summer reading programs that can be a lot of fun for children of all ages. If your child's teacher provided them with a suggested summer reading list, be sure to get these books for your child. There are also online sites that provide reading resources for school age children. Reading is a great activity for hot summer days, and your child will head back to school in the fall more prepared for the next school year.
Quality Family Time
Don't forget to schedule some quality time together as a family during the summer. However, this doesn't mean you have to take an expensive vacation... you can have just as much fun hanging around the house or visiting neighborhood destinations. In fact, it doesn't even matter so much what you do, as long as you have fun together doing it. Even if you work outside of the home, try to take some vacation time so that you and your children can spend some time together just having fun. You'll find that this will make summer vacation just a bit more enjoyable for everyone in your family.
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