One of the best parts of being a child is the summer holidays. There are few professions that allow adults to have three months and live a carefree life. On the day that kids finish school for the year they usually come home throw the bag into the bottom of the closet and decide not to think of it or their uniform for a few more months. Obviously, the three months off are going to be very different from school and that is no bad thing, it is an opportunity to give them some freedom, to enjoy their childhood and to go on adventures. However, you shouldn’t let your kids completely abandon all routine. If you do, then when summer is over and you try and get them back in bed early and up in time for school it will be an incredibly tough battle. Follow our tips to ensure all hope is not lost.
The most important tip is to ensure there is still some routine. The keyword here is some. You don’t need to plan out their day as if they are going to a different classroom every hour. However, don’t let them sleep in for as long as they want and when they get up it is important that they still look after their hygiene and breakfast. If they have plans for the day then getting a packed lunch ready and anything else required is a great idea.
If your children wake up at 7 am on a school day don’t feel the need to make them wake up at 7 am in the summer. The days are longer and most kids want to stay out playing until the sun goes down. Don’t be cruel and force them to come inside and go to be when the kids are still playing or worse when the sun is still up. Instead, adjust their bedtime so that they can stay up later and enjoy some of those amazing summer sunsets that we all have fond memories of. Of course, it is incredibly important for children to get the right amount of sleep. In order to help the body grow children should be getting nine to eleven hours every night. This means you may need to alter their wake up time as a result. Therefore you should allow your children to sleep later but not at a ridiculous or inconsistent time.
Consistency is key with any routine so ensure that whatever rules you set out you stick to. Of course, if you allow your kids to stay up late and sleep in late this will be incredibly tough once the school season returns. If this is the case make sure you adjust their sleep schedule back to the school one a few weeks before school starts. School is tough enough on kids without having to adjust at the same time. Some kids will really struggle with this adaption so you can do it in a gradual way if that helps them.
One important thing that may help to instill some routine for your kids is for you to follow a routine too. Often without the structure of bringing the kids to school, we can let our own routine slip a little. Make sure you follow a routine so that you set a good example for your kids to follow.
Summer is a special time for children and allows them to form strong social bonds and meaningful memories. Make sure that you allow that to take place while still asking them to respect a normal routine. Working out a routine together is a great opportunity for them to take some responsibility at an early stage.
