Tips For Having A Happier Summer With Your Children

Children look forward to the summer holidays due to the lack of a relatively strict daily school routine they often have to follow during the academic year. They get to sleep in and have super lazy days. Well, the reason children love holidays can also be the reason some parents may have holiday stress. 

Not to worry, it is all too common to dread summer holidays, especially during the pandemic, when you may have a lot on your mind. 

In this article, we will cover:

• Parenting Tips For Happier Summer Holidays
• Sample Summer Guidelines For Little Children

Parenting Tips For Happier Summer Holidays

Summer holidays are not holidays for parents. During summer holidays, parents are still dealing with work, household chores, etc. Here are some effective parenting tips for parents to ensure smoother and happier holidays: 

• Set clear expectations: Children need to know what they are expected to do, even during holidays. They thrive on structure and predictability. Parents should let children know what they should do when parents are on a call or are busy working. This is especially important during the pandemic where the boundary between home and work has blurred.
• Set up a playroom: Summer holidays are a lot smoother for parents when children have a dedicated space for playing. It creates a safe go-to corner for children where they can play with their toys without getting interrupted. It will help parents get some quiet time as well. 
• Set summer goals: Parents can think of specific goals that they would like to accomplish with their children over the summer. These can be skills or small projects that tend to take a back seat during the academic year. Discuss these goals with your child and come up with a plan together. 
• Remember that they are children: They need free time to explore the world. Do not keep more than one demanding activity per day to leave some breathing room. Let children know of the upcoming events and activities so that they are prepared. Creating a behavioural tracker will also make summer holidays happier for all. 

Sample Summer Guidelines For Little Children

Almost all parents know that children thrive on consistency and that daily strategies to manage children’s routine are still in play. Summer holidays do need additional guidelines for children as this period is significantly different from all the other days in the year. These are general guidelines and parents can customise these to suit their unique requirements. You can also download them at the end of this article. 

Summer holidays can be fun for both parents and children if there is a bit of planning involved. They can imbibe many skills and abilities that classroom learning cannot teach. Adhering to a routine is a key part of happy summer holidays. To reduce the summer learning curve, a bit of reading, writing, and mathematics should also have a place in the holiday plan. 

Download the sample summer guidelines for children here. 

How do you go about your summer holidays? Do you plan in advance or prefer to go with the flow? Do let us know in the comments below.