Most children are very excited when summer comes around. There are so many things a child wants to do and now has the time to do them. But then it comes to the middle of summer (which is almost here) and things begin to change. Many of the thing your child wanted to do he has done. Some have been great and others kind of ho-hum.
Now what is he supposed to do?
Here are some things you can do when your child reaches the middle of summer.
1) Child: “There’s nothing to do!”
Don’t just jump in and try to solve his problem. Listen. Let him see you know how he is feeling which helps him see you as someone who is willing to help.
2) Parent: “What would you really like to do?”
Encourage him to think of ideas of what to do no matter how far out they are. As you think about the ideas he brings up, he and you may come up with some more ideas. Listen to the kind of ideas he has.
3) Parent: “That’s a great idea. It isn’t something we can do today but let’s make sure we plan to do it on Tuesday.”
If he has an idea that can’t be done right away, help him think of it for the future. This even helps him learn about planning ahead.
4) Parent: “You’re so good at thinking of things to do.”
Let him hear how pleased you are with his ideas. This makes him feel good about himself. We all need to feel good about ourselves.
5) Parent: “Let’s think of some things together that you might enjoy doing.”
If he can’t think of anything to do, even with your encouragement, you may need to offer some suggestions. We all need help from time to time.
6) Parent: “If you would like to help, I sure could use some for a bit.”
Many young children enjoy helping with household tasks. If you’re cooking, or cleaning, find some small thing he can do with you. Even see if he noticed anything that could use some cleaning.
7) Parent: “Maybe you would like to look through our old pictures?”
Sorting through family photos is an activity most children really like. He will love seeing pictures of himself when he was younger.
8) Parent: “Want to water some plants for me?”
This is one more task or at least something else to do for a young child that he might really like. Make sure if he does this task that you tell other people about how he helps you. This is one more way you let him know he is valuable to you.
9) Parent: “Let’s do something together. Any ideas?
Sometimes when your little one says he is bored, he is really saying he wants attention. Spend some time doing fun things such as playing a board game, reading together or even just taking a walk.
Remember all the things you hoped to accomplish with your child this summer. Did you want to find a game to help him learn math facts? Were you trying to encourage him to learn the keyboard without looking? How is he doing reading? You can make these tasks fun with just a little special effort.
You don’t want to over-program your child. You want him or her to have the chance to simply do nothing, to daydream or to use his or her imagination.
Summer is a wonderful time to accomplish many things. Make it fun and a summer he will remember and one that you will too.
Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and former executive director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which publishes newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents. For more information, call 360-681-2250.
