Summer is a time for sun and relaxation, but also for many parents a time where it can feel like a lot of pressure to keep your kids occupied. This can especially be felt at this point in the season when the excitement of school being out has definitely worn off. Kids start to express their “I’m bored” or “I have nothing to do” complaints a little bit more it seems, especially if many of their friends might be at all-day camps or on extended vacations.
Without the structure that school provides, parents are left scrambling to fill the hours so their kids do not resort to their screens for hours on end. I can speak first hand about the creativity I feel compelled to find on a daily basis to keep my nine and twelve year old feeling as if their days are full of adventure and connection even though we took a break from a “big” family vacation this year.
School will be here again before you know it so take advantage of the good weather, these precious moments together and hopefully feel inspired with the following ten, low cost ideas, borrowed from my family to yours, to guarantee quality bonding with your children.
To quote Maya Angelou, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Even though this list has a bunch of ideas for “doing,” it really is a list for helping you enjoy and appreciate one another in a new way.
The key is to commit fully to each of these ideas and put all distractions on hold. You could also get your own kids involved in adding to this list by inviting them to create an “end of summer bucket list” for some additional, family-friendly activities. My own two kids liked having this sense of control and just recently got to see their waterpark and amusement park ideas come to fruition.
I sincerely hope these ideas assist your family in creating fond memories together with what remains of this beautiful time of year.
Written By,
Janet Radziszewski, LCSW
www.cuttingedge-therapy.com