Prepare for Transitions:
As your summer schedule fills up with activities, remember to ease into it. Even the most exuberant extroverts have not mingled with others as per usual. You and your children’s energy levels may have shifted around groups of people, outdoor gatherings, live music, and festivals. Take a few breaks in between activities, hydrate, nap, and give yourself permission to leave the event early.
One activity to help prepare for transitions is to sync up calendars with all family members. This could lead to helpful conversations around the details: who are we seeing, what are we doing together, where are we going, how long will we be there? For those with younger children 6 and under: this can be a visual activity. Children can draw pictures of what they would like to do, what they would like to wear, and what they need to bring. Creating visual reminders before an event/trip can help orient younger children to the changes of the summer schedule. Children 6+ can create a visual schedule or calendar using markers or collage to help them track their new activities. Older children 12+ can do initial exploring via Google Maps and Trip Advisor to find points of interest and add something to the trip.
Provide Expectations:
Before you head to your favorite beach with the children or before you visit with friends, take a few minutes in the car or in the parking lot to set the expectations for the day’s activity. Setting expectations allows children to understand rules, boundaries, and limits to what they can and can’t get into. It’s ok to be clear and direct. For example, “at the beach, we are going to be safe, healthy and respectful…I need you to always swim with an adult, clean hands before we eat, and stay 6 feet away from others.”
Normalize and Give Choices:
Involve your child in the decision making for summer camps and extracurriculars. Explain that their first picks may not happen this summer due to capacity and waiting times. This could lead to productive conversations in exploring new interests and a helpful chance to explain/decrease confusion about the changes this summer brings.
Modeling:
It’s ok to show your disappointment and dismay when traditional vacation options are not yet safe to enjoy. Modeling for your child during moments of experiencing big emotions is helpful for children to see. Your child will be able to see you strategize, use problem-solving tools, and come up with alternatives. This could lead to collaboration and another learning moment for your child to contribute to options and choices.
Encourage:
For parents with shy, highly sensitive, or socially anxious children try some gentle encouragement to visit with friends or other family members. As rules and restrictions start to lift, we are once again able to see one another more in person. Try to explore how comfortable your children are to having a play date or seeing a classmate at the park. Start with offering simple exposures such as a backyard picnic. Your child can choose what snacks to offer and what games to play in the yard. Having one friend over in an environment your child can control may help ease them into leaving the home for the next visit.
Find Balance:
Unplugging from devices and screens has been even more challenging as we come out of quarantine. Teenagers often have the most difficult time finding balance with screen time and other activities. We can combine some of the tips here to help with this balance. Provide expectations specifically around device use in the home for the summer. Write up the expectations together and display them on the fridge. Encourage your teen by modeling how you are also taking time to unplug. Limit checking emails and answering work calls during family meals and outings. Normalize how hard it is to find balance from being away from devices and brainstorm other options together, such as meeting up with friends in person versus connecting with them online.
Final Tip:
Packing for a day trip sometimes may be more rushed than a lengthy vacation. To help ease the stress of what we’ve forgotten, prepare a Summer Outing Bag! Pack a bag that has a water bottle, sunscreen, snacks, chapstick, tissue, anti-bacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, reusable plastic bags, calming tools (a stress ball or fidget toy), etc. Keep this bag near the front door for quick access to stash in the car or grab on your way out. Replenish as needed and return to the same spot by the front door for consistency. For younger children, you can make a game of it. Have then check the Summer Outing Bag and see what needs replenishing. They can even add a small toy or a favorite book for when they need a quiet break time.
With this in mind, stay safe and have so much fun this summer!