Ease Summertime Craziness with a Summer Schedule for Kids!

Remember the famous song by Nat King Cole, “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer”? It’s great to have a lazy summer but it doesn’t have to be totally crazy! Miss Behaviour: parenting coach & consultant services has come up with one way to ease some of the craziness this summer. Create a special ‘summer schedule’! It doesn’t have to be as strict as the rest of the school year’s routine but as a Early Childhood Consultant, I’ve observed that children respond well to structure and predicting what is expected next.

Discuss with your child all the things to include in the schedule. If they are old enough, you can even create a schedule together. For example, you may want to include mealtimes, playtimes, rest times, washing hands before meal, using the toilet after meals, watching a show, free time, craft time and when it’s time to go to bed.  Give your children (and yourself) adequate time for each. This is where you can cleverly stretch some of the times out if you know it takes a little longer for them to transition from outdoors to indoors or transitioning from playtime to getting ready for bed. Use visuals to add in actual/approximate times and use a timer if you have too. Remember to be flexible with in the scheduled times but it’s important to keep to the schedule so children know that you mean it and to take it seriously. Adjust the schedule as needed as you go along and update children when you do so. I’ve observed young friends who have come over to homes where the family goes by a summer schedule and the friends love it and follow along too.

Embrace the summer for what it is and maximize the time that you have. Next thing you know, it will be autumn and we will be wishing for those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer back!


*You may enjoy another article from Miss Behaviour: parenting coach& consultant services on our website blog called ‘Keeping your Child’s Summer Hat On!’.  See the blog below or follow this link:                                                  
http://www.missbehaviour.ca/2/post/2012/07/keeping-your-childs-summer-hat-on.html



Learn more about Julie Romanowski - Mother, Coach, Leader, Educator, Author, Speaker & founder of Miss Behaviour: parenting coach & consultant service through her tips, blog, e-newsletter, & articles! 

www.missbehaviour.ca

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