summer survival tips
By annemarie on August 8, 2010 | Filed Under parenting
Although our six-year-old keeps lamenting that summer’s almost over that’s not the case. As any of us who are constantly trying to come up with fun ways to keep our kids busy over the holidays can attest! So when I got this press release about Barbara Allisen’s new e-book - Summer Survival for Parents and Caregivers (you can download it for free till August 10th) – with handy tips on keeping sane during the summer months we had to share some of Allisen’s tips.
Her key strategy is to have a routine. It does seem contrary to the idea of lazy summer days, but routine actually gives more freedom. Really, this means that everyday you do not have to reinvent the way. Each day flows along and can be adapted as need be. Children function better with boundaries and limits. Once they know the routine, they can be more independent and responsible. This is great for even the little kids. Think of the summer routine as a map… it is much easier to get to the treasure when there’s a plan. Below are some of Barbara’s summer treasure ideas:
- Find a calendar with big squares. Check out how many days there are before school is back in session. Mark of the the family holidays etc and see how many days are left for fun! Do a search in your local papers, or online for festivals, fairs, markets etc. Put them on the calendar and let the fun begin.
- Water is also a big hit in the hot season. You can always head to the park, beach or pool. You can also turn on the sprinkler and let the jumping begin. A big roasting pan of water and some containers for splashing and pouring will keep the little ones occupied. Letting each child have their own bowl or cup does discourage and water fights.
- Arrrrrrr! How about a week long program on pirates? Juice lids can double as the treasure, shoeboxes as pirate chests. Bring in some maps, props, costumes, flags, boats and more and let the adventure unfold.
- If it’s rainy out, an at-home afternoon at the movies just might be the ticket. Colour a few tickets, make some popcorn and decide on the movie. Line up chairs, collect the tickets and enjoy the afternoon with your feet up. You could also have a puppet show. For live performances, kids like to act out favourite stories. Stuffies love to be the audience.
Allisen is a parent, grandparent and kindergarten teacher. She loves teaching kindergarten because it’s the only grade in which she can play with puzzles, blocks, LEGO and playdough and get drawings for her fridge and lots of sticky hugs.
Okay, I’m off to find a big calendar and I know where I’ll find my listing of festivals and fairs, I’ll just reference our ongoing summer fun list. Sorry, had to get that in. I’ve just downloaded her e-book too and I’ll be digging in ce soir.
