 School is just around the corner - maybe you’d like to keep your blinders on and pretend it’s not coming, or maybe you are really excited to personally celebrate the kids’ first day of school. Regardless of where you stand, it’s best to begin transitioning now so that your kids are set when school starts up again. Transitioning from summer routines to school routines must be intentional. To help everyone adjust smoothly, here are 5 practical tips to consider putting into practice.
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 When I think about summer, I tend to think about the fun activities I can do with the kids, the classes or lessons they will have, and the joys of warm weather and sunshine. My picture of the perfect summer gets stifled by the sibling rivalry and conflict that somehow sneak up on me every June.
Maybe your kids have been on summer vacation for a month or maybe they just got out last week; whatever the case, it’s all but guaranteed that your children will struggle to get along sometime over the next three months, and typically sooner rather than later. Let’s just pause for a second - this is completely normal!  Summer is around the corner - two of my kids are done with school for the year, and the other two will be done in just a few days. Maybe you’re on top of everything and have each day planned down to the minute, or maybe you’ve got your head in the sand hoping that the school will keep your kids for another month or two! Wherever you find yourself, there’s no better time than right now to think about how you want your summer to feel and what you want it to look like.
 Do you have any family reunions or large gatherings planned for the summer?
My family of origin is fairly small so our gatherings aren't huge. But the words "family reunion" make me picture large boisterous groups of distantly related people along with lots of noise, games, food and stimulation. My husband's side of the family is big and we have plans to attend a large family gathering soon. My kids will be meeting many distant family members for the first time! It makes me mindful of my four kids and their unique personalities and responses to different environments. I can picture some of my kids jumping right into the unknown territory and having a blast. I can also picture some of my kids feeling very overwhelmed by the noise, the unfamiliar people and the uncertain time frames. If you have a child who's sensitive, shy, easy overwhelmed, or tends towards feeling anxious then here are a few things that could help you set your family up for more successful reunions.  How do you feel when you think about the fact that summer is at least half way done? It's ok to have mixed feelings about it. Summer can hold so many fun things, swimming, picnics, parks, fireworks, fairs! At the same time, for my family and lots of families that I work with, there is some summer burnout that happens around this point.
Summer burnout can happen for kids and for parents. It might be kids feeling a bit bored and starting to feel that all this time off is getting old. It might be parents feeling tired of all the driving to activities, or juggling their work while kids are at home, or navigating siblings fighting or whining. Here are a few ideas to help you enjoy this second half of summer, block burnout and build some more fun memories: |
AuthorDana Parisi Archives
September 2024
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