And The Summertime Balancing Act Begins

Ahhhh…time to exhale. As a mother and grandmother, I am acutely aware of the collective sigh of relief experienced by both parents and children when the school bells ring for the last time. I’m sure the teachers feel the same! We are simultaneously exhausted and happy to have successfully completed (and survived) another school year.

Summer brings a sense of freedom for children. Today’s generation of children is often overscheduled to the point of exhaustion. Between homework, extracurricular activities, play dates and information overload caused by our dependence on screens,” not a moment exists for our children to just “be.” Summer can be a great time to relax and recharge. Ideally, we want our children to have fun, be somewhat productive, maintain healthy habits and experience some much-needed downtime. We’d also like some quality family time, which can sometimes be challenging with the advent of screens and constantly being connected.

Clearly, managing and supporting our kids over the summer requires some careful thought. We need them to have structure, but don’t want to overschedule them. We have to balance between giving them the freedom to rejuvenate without letting them become idle. We want them to have fun, but we want to keep them safe. Did you know that June and July are the biggest months for kids to start using drugs? It’s a delicate balance, but one worth navigating.

Here are some tips for a healthy, well-balanced summer:

• Work together with your children to establish a schedule (camp, activities, volunteer work, reading), but leave some free time for everyone.
• Spend as much quality, technology-free family time together as you can without making everyone crazy.
• Do something different. Pretend you are a tourist in your own town or go on a camping trip in the backyard.
• Be mindful of screens altogether. Do you want your children to be spending hours on end on a smartphone? Set limits and monitor what they are actually doing.
• Invest some time in getting to know your children’s friends and their parents invite them to come over and create intergenerational friendships.
• Find teachable moments in everyday life. Express your disapproval of underage drinking and drug use at every opportunity possible. You may not think they are listening and they may roll their eyes, but they hear you.
• Encourage safe, but fun parties. Be present at all pre-teen and teenage parties held in your home to ensure that no alcohol or drugs are present. If the party is at someone else’s home, take steps to ensure that the same rules apply. Look for our Safe Home Smart Parents tools if you need some tips.

Wishing you a safe, fun, and happy summer,

Peggy Sapp, President and CEO