Tips For The Care And Feeding Of Kids This Summer

Introduction

School's out. The kids are home on summer break, and you're probably as excited as they are to spend more time with them. But there's one thing that you might be worried about: how do I keep my kids' attention without all the bells and whistles of a traditional school day? Here are 15 tips for how to keep the fun going this summer:

School's out! Now what?

Summer is a great time to get caught up on chores around the house. You can take a vacation, beach, or hike up the mountains. If you have old enough children to be self-sufficient, they may even help with some of these things themselves!

To make sure that everyone gets off on the right foot this summer and stays that way into adulthood (or later), here are some tips:

Take advantage of opportunities such as camps or daycare centers where children can spend time together in an environment without adults.
Play with your kids—it's essential because it's fun and helps build their confidence and brains (and improves their motor skills). Also, consider enrolling them in sports leagues to meet new friends; these experiences will help them develop social skills like teamwork and leadership. That will come in handy later in life when applying for jobs or college applications!

Don't worry about the mess.

Don't worry about the mess.
Instead of trying to be a neat freak, let your kids make a mess. They're learning about responsibility and how to act in the world—and they're also getting some fun time outdoors! If you're uncomfortable with your child playing with dirt or building sand castles on the beach, have them help you clean up afterward.
Don't feel obligated to clean up after yourself or your child(ren). It's one thing if there's some small amount of food left over from dinner that can be cleaned up easily by hand (like crumbs), but it's another thing when someone spills their drink all over the tablecloth. No matter how much effort goes into cleaning up after yourself or others around you, sometimes nothing can erase memories from those moments when things went wrong—especially if those times happen multiple times per day!

Give yourself a break.

Take a nap.
Go for a walk.
Do something fun with your kids. If you’re up to it, go out and do something active together—a hike or bike ride is excellent! You could even throw in some outdoor activities like fishing or kayaking (for those of us who still haven't gotten back into the water).
Read a book by the pool or on the beach; there's no better way to enjoy summer weather than by reading under an umbrella! If you're looking for something more substantial, pick up one of our favorite summer reading lists:

Try not to yell or shame your kids.

Don't yell at your kids.
Don't shame your kids.
Whatever happened to your kids that caused you to lose control, don't make them feel bad about themselves or that they're terrible people. For example, if they were fighting with their siblings or another family member, or if they forgot something and had to return home after buying groceries due to a lack of cash.
Your kid is not the wrong person; they just need love and patience from their parents because they have been through so much this past year alone!

Remember that you're the grown-up.

It’s important to remember that you are the grown-up, not the child. You have to be in charge and make the best decisions for everyone involved. If you don’t want your kids to get into trouble outside of school, then they should stay inside.

You can be afraid of saying no, either! Sometimes it may seem like things will always work out in your favor—but sometimes, they won't! Suppose a situation doesn't feel right or doesn't feel safe for everyone involved (including yourself). In that case, it may not be worth getting into an argument about it later on down the road when someone else has been hurt because of what happened earlier this summer...

Find some quiet time for yourself, even if it's only 15 minutes.

We all know how vital relaxation is in our daily lives—you can't be successful if you're constantly stressed out or tired. But it's easy to forget about these things when your kids are at school every day. If you want to keep the peace between you and your kids this summer (and beyond), ensure that they get enough sleep each night, so they feel refreshed when they wake up in the morning!

And don't worry about finding time for yourself: we've got tips below on ensuring everyone gets their own space without neglecting one another!

Have kids help plan their schedules.

It's a good idea to have your kids help plan their schedules. This can be done in several ways:

Let them choose which activities they want to do, set up a schedule for the week or month, and make sure it doesn't overlap with any daycare events.
If you have multiple children at home, break up each activity into smaller chunks, so there are tasks for everyone (like napping time).

Set up some free playtime and free days.

Free playtime. The summer is a great time to let kids learn how to entertain themselves, and they must have plenty of opportunities to do so. In other words, free days and free playtime should be part of your summer routine for kids between the ages of six and twelve.

If you can only afford one day off per week, try setting up a schedule for it so that everyone in your household knows when those days are coming up: maybe Tuesday through Friday or Wednesday through Saturday? You could even create an entire week's (or month's) worth!

Set aside some free time every day or every other day to encourage creativity in young minds and perhaps even inspire them to take up new hobbies. It can also help them make friends with other children interested in playing outside without adults watching over everything they do!

Don't be afraid to say no when you don't want to drive somewhere.

If you're at home, and your kid is bugging you about going out for ice cream or whatever, remember: It's not their fault that they're nagging you. They're trying their best to convince you of something important to them! And if this happens often enough, it can become frustrating for both parties involved—and even more if the child continues asking after each refusal until they get what they want (or worse).

Schedule activities that let you and your kids share an experience while giving them some independence.

Scheduling activities allow you and your kids to share an experience while giving them some independence.
For example, when you're at the zoo, have your child ride on the carousel first and then go on a separate ride nearby (and vice versa). This will let them experience two different things without feeling like they're missing out if one doesn't work out for them. Or maybe there's something at home that you can help with—maybe your child would like to make lemonade or bake cookies! If so, give them some freedom in deciding how much time they want to spend doing these things so as not to feel rushed or overwhelmed during the day.*

Kids need to learn how to be bored sometimes! It's not so bad! (And they'll thank you years later.)

If your child is bored, they're probably not alone. Barbies and trucks are everywhere! But most kids don't know how to entertain themselves without resorting to the same old tricks.
Here are some ideas for making boredom fun:
Make games with them (like blind man's bluff) or play charades with them at bedtime.
Have a pretend tea party every night and talk about all the different things you can do when you have friends over for tea.

If you don't want to spend every weekend at a birthday party, talk about it with your child, and maybe let your child choose which one is most important to attend. Or do something fun instead, like going on a hike or swimming in a lake.

If you don't want to spend every weekend at a birthday party, talk about it with your child and maybe let your child choose which one is most important to attend. Or do something fun instead, like going on a hike or swimming in a lake.

If your child is old enough that they can ask you questions about why they didn't see their friends at their friend's house party, answer them honestly. For example: "It was too hot outside."

If the weather isn't cooperating and it's too cold for swimming in the ocean or lakeside pools this summer (or any other season), try finding local collections closer!

Don't feel obligated to sign up for too many activities because other parents are doing them, especially if your budget is tight. Tell your kids that less can be more fun if you're intentional about your actions.

Don't feel obligated to sign up for too many activities because other parents are doing it, especially if your budget is tight. Tell your kids that less can be more fun if you're intentional about your actions.
Instead of feeling pressured into joining a particular activity because everyone else is attending there, seeing this play, or attending this movie, look for activities that interest you. Find ways to fit them into your schedule to take advantage of all the opportunities available in your community!

Conclusion

We hope these tips have helped you feel more sane and relaxed about the upcoming summer. We know it can be challenging to stay on top of all the activities and events that kids want to do, but with a bit of preparation, you’ll be able to keep things under control (and maybe even have a little fun yourself). There's no doubt your children will love summer camp or any other activity they get involved with if you follow these 15 suggestions.