Summer amidst a pandemic

“‘Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about”

— John Meyer

For many, summer is the light at the end of the tunnel. The motivation filed with beach days and ice cream cones that motivates us throughout the year. Over the past few months, many families have successfully managed to homeschool their children. However, the hopeful relief that summer held is quickly be diminished as many camps close, businesses remain closed and social distancing continues in full effect. As summer quickly approaches, many are faced with concept of new thoughts and challenges- what will I do over the summer?

While one person may not have all the answers, here are some tips to make it through summer home, for both you and your kids.

1. Maintain a routine

   1. lack of routine results in anxiety and increased negative behaviors. Have your kids decide and build a schedule with you, included with “choose your own activities” that can be spread throughout the week. Ensure that bedtime and mealtimes are consistent

2. Utilize positive praise

   1. If you don’t already know, kids crave attention. If they don’t get it positively, they often will turn to negative attention seeking behaviors. To offset the crazies, reward your child with positive praise as often as possible, even for small thing such as “I’m so proud cleaning up your breakfast all on your own” or “I really love how you used your words to tel me how you feel.”

3. Limit screen time

   1. While screen time can often provide an easy fix, children are spending more time than ever before on screens now they are home 24/7. Try to plan fun outdoor activities such as bike riding, soccer, family game nights, painting, legos, scavenger hunts, and beach trips.

4. Stay connected

   1. Although you may not be able to go into family and friends home, make sure you are doing what you can to stay connected. Schedule virtual dates and drive by visits.

5. Incorporate academic time

   1. Infuse fun academic activities like virtual museum tours, online museum activities and integrated reading games to help kids decrease learning loss over the summer.

6. Most important to me: Get help.

   1. We are all trying our best, but more recently, the effects of this pandemic have begun taking a tole on everyones mental health. Take some time over the summer to check in on your mental health, but also seek support if it is needed.

-Emily Martin, MS