Keep your Kids Occupied and Accountable this Summer
Summer is obviously an extremely happy time for students. It’s a whole two months for them to kick back, relax and not worry about homework, assignments, waking up early and the assortment of other things that you hear your kids complaining about. However, summer can sometimes cause added stress for parents. If you are a working parent, you have to worry about finding childcare or activities to keep your children occupied during work hours. If you are a stay-at-home parent, you won’t have the usual peace and quiet around the house that you might be used to that allows you to get necessary chores and errands completed. Needless to say, it can be a busy time for parents, but there are a few things you can do to make your life a bit easier this summer.
For starters, keep your kids on a schedule. Letting them stay up till all hours of the night and sleep in long past noon not only causes you more stress but it will make it much harder for them to adjust back to their school schedules come September. Encourage them to wake up in the morning to do chores in exchange for free time or hanging out with friends in the afternoon.
Speaking of chores, one of the most important things you can do for your kids during summer is them something to do! There are always plenty of camps available to children of any age, day camps or sleep-away camps with a range of activities designed to appeal to all personalities and interests. During the time your children are not away or occupied with camp, giving them set chores will not only help you around the house but keep them accountable to responsibilities at a time when they otherwise have none. It is perfectly fine to reward your children for upholding their end of the deal, as long as you don’t overdo it so that they come to expect it. It doesn’t have to be a large material reward – just a simple trip to the ice cream store or getting to skip chores one day. These small rewards will let your children know that their efforts do not go unnoticed.
