For parents of school-aged children, the news that summer day camps would not be running this summer was likely disappointing. The school year has abruptly ended, and summer has arrived. Online schooling fatigue has set in and many parents are stressed and frustrated. What are parents to do? This is the time to take stock, step back, and regroup as a family. This will be a different summer. Here are some things to keep in mind and to try.

Kids are more capable than we think: Step back, and give them more opportunities. Let kids do something without you helping them.
Set goals for the summer. You may want to choose a theme. Carol McCloud’s book "Have you filled a bucket a today? A guide to daily happiness for kids" is a good resource that illustrates valuable lessons about giving, sharing and caring. Everyone carries around an invisible happiness bucket that can be added to. We can inspire children to be bucket fillers. This is a gentle guide to daily happiness reminders of the benefits of positive thinking for all of us. How can we practice kindness? Carol has written a series of follow up books since the original written in 2006.
It can be a burden to fill every moment with education and enrichment. Let kids kick back a little. Unstructured moments can be great for kids. Being bored is okay.
Have your own "campfire time". Do something connecting as a family, for example at dinner where everyone has an opportunity to share. This can be something they are grateful for or a high, low, hero. Share a high moment of the day, low moment of the day and their hero of the day. Even if kids roll their eyes, push through. This gives kids the opportunity to share and for people to listen to them. You can learn more about your kids.
Use your children. Help them build life skills. Let them help. "Gamify" chores. The highest card gets to choose first. Older kids can read to younger kids. Put on some music and have everyone work together; do a 30 minute "power wash" or race to clean the kitchen in one song.

This will be a different summer for families but can be a memorable one with opportunities for independence, new life skills and time for boredom. Get creative, Einstein amused himself as a child building houses out of cards.

Written by Joyce Williams, Parent Support Coach

It's Summer. Now What?