Your child is excited to sleep in, swim at the pool, and
play more video games. Within two weeks, he will be bored and whining. He is
missing the structure of a routine and seeing his friends every day. As the
parent, you get to set his schedule. Keep a bedtime. It can be a little later
than school nights, but still needs to be set and followed. You don’t want a
irritable child simply because he didn’t get enough sleep.
Have activities for your child to participate where he can
be around children his own age. He can join a sports team, take swimming
lessons, attend sports camp, participate in nature activities, and sign up for
an art class. Many towns plan fun for school-age children at local parks.
Teens will benefit from a summer job. The summer before my
senior year, I slept in every day until 1 pm. At night, I would sit outside my
parents’ house talking with my friends and drinking pop until the late hours.
Philosophically, we solved most of the world’s problems. When I returned to
the school routine, I felt I had wasted my summer.
Working at a job or volunteering in a prospective career
area can be educational. For example, a future veterinarian can help at a local
vet clinic. Bathing and scooping poop is not glamorous, but it is all part of
the process. The same teen can volunteer at a local animal rescue organization.
For several summers, I volunteered for the Red Cross and taught hundreds of
children how to swim. It only lasted half of the summer, but gave me a reason
to get up in the morning.
Work with your child to come up with ideas for him to enjoy
his summer by being active. You will both benefit. Have a fun summer!
