Turning Summer Boredom into Opportunities to Grow

 

Summer is a time for kids to enjoy being kids, but it can also be a stressful time for parents. You love your children and want them to have fun. You also want them to use their time in a healthy way.

How will your children be spending their time this summer? Summer vacation with time off from school provides many opportunities for growth, fun and also trouble. It's the trouble that you want to avoid!  

Concerns About Kids' Free Time

Some parents look forward to the unstructured time their children can enjoy during the summer while others worry about how their children will fill those extra hours. What are your greatest concerns about the free time your kids have during the summer? 

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Being an Admired Leader Instead of a Pushy Boss for Your Kids

 

 

Do you liked to be bossed around? Probably not! How does the thought of being given orders make you feel? Irritated? Angry? Rebellious? If you’re like most, you react negatively to someone trying to boss or control you.

Your children are no different. They also do not like when you try to control their behavior. You can test this out by watching their reaction to your commands. What happens when you tell them to hurry up? Does this cause them to go faster? How about when you tell your kids to stop fighting or quit whining?

Sometimes your kids may follow your commands. Other times they may ignore them or verbally agree but not follow through. Giving commands sets up power struggles with your kids. You can replace commands with more effective approaches like telling them what you are going to do or asking curiosity questions. 

Considering the Characteristics of Your Favorite Boss

Your role as a parent is like being a boss or leader for your family. If you shy away from this role and try instead to be your children’s friend, that leaves your family without the strong leadership it really needs. When the kids are primarily in control, families are dysfunctional. 

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Shunning Classmates Who Behave Poorly Versus Setting Boundaries

 

There are kids in every class who struggle more than their peers to behave appropriately. In preschool these are the kids that turn to biting, pushing and hitting to communicate. By the time they are in grade school, their inappropriate behavior often leaves them isolated by their classmates.

There are many reasons kids may lag in developing interpersonal skills. It may be due to growing up in a traumatic environment, having sensory integration issues, being anxious or some other factors. 

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Teaching Kids To Keep Themselves Mentally Healthy

 

You are likely doing an excellent job teaching your kids to keep themselves physically healthy. You’ve taught them to wash their hands before eating, to brush their teeth and to take a bath or shower. Maintaining a healthy body takes daily effort.

Maintaining a healthy mind also takes daily effort. How are you teaching your kids to keep themselves mentally healthy? 

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Finding Solutions Versus Issuing Consequences

When your kids misbehave, how do you usually feel? Most parents report feeling angry, frustrated or embarrassed. When you're feeling like that it's easy to think of consequences that will make your children pay for their poor behavior. They won't dare do that again!

When you use punishment in response to your children's misbehavior, they usually learn to avoid getting caught in the future. However, they aren't necessarily learning how to develop self-discipline and make better choices. By focusing on solutions instead of punishment, you increase the chances that it doesn't happen again - even if you're not around. 

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Building Confidence and Finding Joy Through Creativity

 

 

What creative activities do your kids enjoy? When they are not on their digital devices or watching TV, what do they like to do?

Are they the artistic type who likes to draw, paint or make sculptures? Do they enjoy making up new dance moves? Do they like playing an instrument or recording their own music? Are they drawn to acting out make believe stories or creating plays with other kids? Do they love being outside designing obstacle courses or challenging jumps for their skateboards or bikes? Do they like baking or cooking?

Part of growing up is figuring out what you like to do and what you’re good at. When your kids find a passion and devote time to it, they build their confidence with their accomplishments. Trying out various creative activities will help them discover their gifts and talents.

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Teaching Children To Express Gratitude

How are you teaching your kids to show gratitude? Training your children to say "please" and "thank you" is essential. This basic social skill is critical in showing respect for others.

It takes plenty of prompting and reminders when your kids are young. It is worth the effort. Developing the skill of showing appreciation will benefit your kids. Expressing gratitude is crucial in maintaining relationships.

Showing a Lack of Appreciation

It can be challenging for kids to consider other people’s feelings. Part of showing genuine appreciation involves being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. When children have not fully developed this skill, it can cause problems. 

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