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While the last day of school in the next few weeks may bring tears of joy to students, it often strikes terror in the hearts of parents who must devise strategies for keeping their children busy during the summer months. Working parents often struggle to find the perfect child-care arrangements that are both acceptable to them and to their kids. Most children in the middle years feel they are too old for organized child-care facilities, yet letting a 10-year-old stay home alone for eight hours is a recipe for disaster. For stay-at-home parents, the challenge is keeping their children busy without spending a fortune on too many camps and other activities. Regardless of whether you are a working or stay-at-home parent, the key to remaining sane this summer is to start making plans now. Before you sign your child up for everything from soccer camp and swim team to overnight camp and summer tutoring sessions, it's important to understand the value of free time for kids. Experts agree that children should have the opportunity to relax, unwind and discover ways to occupy their time. To this day, some of my best memories as a child were during the summer months, when after declaring my boredom to my mother, I would wander off and examine bugs in the back yard or ride my bike searching for neighborhood friends. Fewer structured activities can actually promote creativity in children, according to Avery Goldstein, Ph.D., professor of family/consumer services at Cal State Long Beach. "Rather than always having parents find them things to do, most children during the summer months need to find ways for themselves to stay busy," says Goldstein. She notes that the summer is a perfect time for children to discover activities that are new to them or they didn't have time for during the school year. Although some degree of downtime is necessary, it must also be balanced with structured activities and responsibilities. Three months of sleeping in until 9 a.m. and lounging in front of the television is not only a waste of time, it's physically and intellectually destructive. "Parents need to find a balance between allowing sufficient free-play activities with structured activities," says Goldstein. "Problem-solving together about how to stay busy in the summer is the best strategy." For many working parents, there are fewer choices for scheduling unstructured time. Goldstein, however, points out that since children at this age enjoy being with friends, parents could form a co-op whereby each would take one day out of their workweek to come home early and supervise a group of children. Besides summer day camps, joining church and community center youth groups is another solution. To appeal to older children, the YMCA and other organizations that offer child-care services for working parents set up their summer programs differently than during the school year. "We spend a lot of time talking with families and children to find out what types of activities they enjoy and we make adjustments during the summer so that older children enjoy participating," says Gwen Ichinose, associate vice president, child care services, YMCA of Orange County. According to Ichinose, the YMCA typically experiences a decrease in the number of fifth- and sixth-grade participants in summer programs in part because many working parents feel their children are capable of staying home for periods of time. Since this age is a critical period of development for children, it can also be harmful to leave kids home alone without adult supervision. "Studies have shown that when left alone for long periods of time, many children experience higher rates of unhealthy and unsafe behavior," she says. "However, when they're involved in structured activities that include socialization with peers, as well as positive adult role models, it strengthens their skills and helps them to become more successful - both now in school and in the future." As many parents look for ways to help their children succeed in school, they often want their children to attend summer school or other academic pursuits. Again, like so many other structured programs, too much focus on academics during the summer can be stressful for some children. Says Goldstein: "We tend to think that if they're not sitting at a desk doing school work, they're not learning, when in fact, children are learning all the time." Carol Daus is a freelance writer who lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and three children. Summer survival tips • Do not overschedule your child. Choose camps that cater to their interests. • Set daily goals for your children, such as making beds, taking out the trash, feeding pets. • Establish specific goals, i.e. read so many books in the summer, visit a museum or zoo. (If you don't schedule certain activities, you might never get around to doing them.) • Take time to know your child's friends this summer by welcoming them into your home. |
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