Summer Survival Tips for Families
Summer is here! Most of us would be jumping for joy - plans typically brimming with summer camp, vacations, pool parties, summer jobs for the younger crowd, a house full of kiddos, shorts and bathing suits, Popsicles, and cookouts. That was summer before the Covid Times. So what are we to do this summer?
Some parents are scrounging for summer enrichment opportunities. Many of us are still working from home with no real end in sight. Summer Camps and summer schools have been moved online or outright cancelled. Vacations have shifted to “staycations”, RV adventures, backyard camping, and (if your beaches aren’t closed) beach house rentals. Inflatable pools are sold out on Amazon. Family BBQs have gotten considerably more selective as far as guest lists go. And even though most of our states here in the US are in Phase 2 or 3 restriction levels, the comfort zones of each Quaranteam is different. 2020 is still challenging us to think outside of the box.
If counting the days - or simply remembering what day it is - feels hard, you are not alone. I have heard from several parents and clients of all ages that they are struggling to design a pandemic-friendly summer. Here are a few strategies that might be of help to pass the summer-at-home during this Pandemic.
Brainstorming family activities, rules and expectations can help create a framework for summer routines and create some comfort for every member.
Set 1-3 Goals
What do you need or want to accomplish this summer?
How will you approach these goals or accommodate for the current environmental restrictions?
What is the value in accomplishing these goals?
Create a List of Activities
Remember when the kids were younger and you had a busy box full of activity starters? Or perhaps it was a list in the kitchen that gave the kids options to choose from? EVERYONE can benefit from a little brainstorming this summer, from age 2 to 92.
Here are a few types of lists that can help us all find choice when we are stuck: meals, chores, outdoor & indoor activities, educational activities
Get Moving
Set a time each day to add in movement: morning or evening walks, pool time if you have access to a pool this summer, weekly hiking or golfing.
Determine what activities you can do together as a family: hiking, walking, biking, swimming, tubing, canoeing, etc.
Set Boundaries
We set them as everyone was sent home from work and school. Now that school is over for the summer, you may need to readjust rules around boundaries for things like screens or bedtime, work schedules and interruptions.
What shifts have occurred with the arrival of summer that you need to pay attention to with respect to working from home or keeping kids engaged?
Set a schedule to communicate the new expectations.
Make Meaningful Connections
Many of us are still socially distance from our friends. As restrictions relax, what might that look like for the summer? And if it is not changing anything for your family, how can you find and encourage your Quaranteam to connect with their friends and family outside of your pod?
I can hear some of you saying “now, Kate. This is great and all but do we go about implementing this?” Bringing back that family meeting is the first step to crafting a summer that everyone can wrap their heads around. If restrictions in your community mean that family rules need to adjust, set those ground rules together to avoid confusion and consequences that are unintended. For us, the restrictions stay pretty much the same, despite hitting stage 2 and hopefully stage 3 as we near July. We have grandparents to worry about and our comfort level regarding exposure risk is pretty much non-existent. This summer we have 3 main goals: get all three kids prepared for whatever the fall college semester looks like, respect mom & dad’s boundaries for quiet near our home office spaces during work hours, and find ways to move and interact with the world a little more outdoors. We have a list of activities that everyone knows we are all OK with, and if there is any question, the boys know to consult us prior to executing plans. That last one is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. All of our kids are below the threshold for fully developed frontal lobes still, but they mostly get it right. Open communication is key: “What’s your plan for the day?” As for movement, we are all exercising and moving as best we can. I’ve even incorporated a morning walk with a neighbor - we each take one side of the road and walk 10 feet apart for 2 miles. When the boys were younger, this would have looked more regimented and explicit, including chore charts, activity lists for inside and outside activities, and I would have had a few additional activities like cooking/baking and reading, art, puzzles, and board games more purposefully scheduled to keep those executive functions in play. The activities we choose for summer do not have to create a regimented beast. Most educators will tell you there is a summer slump. We have added on a COVID slump. At the end of the day, there are all sorts of interpersonal skills that we can practice and develop without spending hours on Mathnasium or Khan Academy. If you are looking for ways to build in executive function skills, here is a download of simple activities that incorporate EFS practices. EF Activities