Managing Summertime Transitions

While many kids can’t wait for summertime, this can also be a time of increased stress for parents who feel pressured to keep their children entertained and engaged. The following are some tips to help parents manage the transition from the school year to summer time.

1) Check the urge to overschedule

During the school year, kids often feel like they’re being pulled in a million different directions. In a survey of pre-teens and teens, many reported feeling stressed by their packed schedule of extracurricular activities. Summer break can be an important opportunity for children to rest and reset.

• Maintain the necessary and be flexible around what’s not
  • Some activities may need year-round engagement to maintain progress made during the school year.
  • Other activities might have more wiggle room to be done less frequently.
• Include your child in the conversation and ask for their ideas
  • This helps your child have a voice and practice making decisions in a low-pressure environment.
  • Kids might still want to hold onto certain activities while really hoping for a break from others.
  • Collaborate with them to figure out what feels fun, meaningful, and restful to them.
• Remember that free play and downtime are also important to development
  • It’s okay if children feel bored!
  • Giving children the opportunity to figure out how to entertain themselves fosters creativity, problem solving, and greater independence.

2) Maintain a reasonable and flexible daily routine, even when traveling

Balance is key to a successful summer transition. Structure and predictability are still highly recommended, even if it’s more relaxed and free-flowing compared to the school year. Ultimately, summer does end and consistency during the break creates a smoother transition back to more inflexible routines and schedules.

• Stay consistent in necessary behavioral expectations
  • House rules and chores don’t take a break during the summer.
• Keep a reasonable bed time and wake up time
  • Children who get used to staying up much later and getting out of bed much later can have a challenging time adjusting back to early morning start times in the fall.
• Keep a basic, regular schedule
  • Many children, particularly neurodiverse children, stay much calmer and in control of their bodies and emotions when there is structure and predictability.
  • Use simple written schedules or visual schedules to help children stay regulated.
  • Timing of routine activities such as getting dressed, physical activity, meal times, and nap times should be kept as consistent as possible.
  • Telling children what to expect day-to-day is especially important when traveling.
• For children who struggle with surprises and unexpected changes, inform them as early as possible
  • Spontaneous activities and last-minute plans can often happen during the summer.
    • Even though they’re usually meant to be fun, some children can really struggle with this and have big feelings about changes in routine.
    • Let children know ahead of time and provide reminders for a smoother transition.
  • Having at least one “anchor” in the day can be helpful.
    • Such as going to the park, pool, playground, having quiet time, etc. consistently at the same time every day.
• Required daily activities like chores and educational enrichment should come before kids get access to screen time
  • When kids get screen time first, they are often unwilling to stop to do a less exciting activity, which can result in tantrums and family conflict.
  • When children do necessary activities first, they can earn access to screen time as a reward.

3) Keep children mentally engaged in fun ways

Many parents are concerned about maintaining academic gains and preventing learning losses during the summer. These are valid concerns and learning can still take place at a relaxed pace so that children can still recuperate during the summer.

• Incorporate light educational or creative activities
  • 15-30 minutes of reading and math
    • Many libraries have summer reading programs.
    • Schools may also have summer work packets.
  • If using online platforms, websites, and apps, caregivers should supervise the screen time and adjust if transitioning away to a non-screen activity results in conflict and negative emotions.
• Use family time to encourage exploration and learning
  • Trips to museums, science centers, historical landmarks, and zoos can make learning fun.
  • Everyday activities such as gardening, hiking, and camping can also incorporate learning and foster curiosity and exploration.
• Engaging their senses with outdoor play is an important form of mental stimulation
  • Doing sidewalk chalk art.
  • Building sand structures.
  • Picking flowers or weeds.
  • Bird watching or bug catching.