By Carol Dores
It’s about this point in the summer that I always feel like summer is coming to an abrupt end. We had a long list of things we wanted to do, and somehow time flew by without doing many of them. There are always a rush of emotions….sadness that it’s mid-August, excitement that we will get back in to a family routine, reflection about what we have done, and so much more.
So what should we do with the precious time left of summer vacation?
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· Talk as a family about the things they are grateful to have done thus far this summer. Consider keeping a family journal of them, or putting together a photo album.
· Sit down as a family and decide on a few things that you really want to do before summer ends. If it becomes only the things you want to do, your children will not want to discuss things as a family. Be sure to really listen to what your children want to do, and work together to compromise and agree on them.
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· Try to spend special time alone with each of your children. Asking them what they would like to do with the 10-30 minutes of special time is wonderful for them.
· Spend some time doing the things you love, just for you, to “refill your cup”. If we as parents are happy and fulfilled, we share this with our families.
· Come up with routines for the challenging times during the school year. For example, if your child has trouble coming home after school and getting homework done, work together on that routine. Ask them to list all of the things that they need and want to do when they come home. It is likely to include some screen time, which may be their way of winding down. Once the list is developed, ask them to put it in the order they would like to do things, and how much time they would like to give to each thing. Again, if they need down time before doing homework, give it a try. You may be surprised how effective they are when they get to choose! You can help them develop routines for other times too, like morning or bedtime.
Enjoy the rest of summer vacation! Take some time for yourself, as well as time to bond more with your family.
Want to learn more about building relationships with your children and everyone else in your life? Visit www.positivedisciplinect.org.
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