In the famous words of Alice Cooper, school’s out for summer! Your kids have worked hard and grown over the last ten months and have earned their time off. But what if they’re still thinking about school? Or, if they aren’t, should they be?
Let’s make one thing clear: kids should not be thinking about school during the summer.
With few exceptions, like students who are enrolled in summer school, summer is a much-needed time to get some space from the hustle and stress of the rest of the year. Now that summer is here, keep these things in mind when getting school off everyone’s mind.
Don’t Dwell on the Past Year
The last ten months likely had their share of ups and downs. One of the best things that you can do with your child is to not see the stumbles of the past year as failures or shortcomings. Rather, they should be seen as opportunities for growth.
Instead of dwelling on the negatives of the last ten months, reflect on the challenges and how you overcame them as a team. Focus on the positives and what’s improved from last summer until now.
Don’t Stress About Next Year
Especially during times of transition between schools or from elementary school to high school, it’s easy to get anxious about the upcoming school year. What’s important is to focus on the present and any plans you’ve made, not just stressing about the next school year.
When we stress about things in the future that are out of our control, we make it a lot easier for our mind to jump to conclusions. It’s okay to think about what you want to accomplish next year and plan for that, but don’t let anxiety or nerves start creeping in without a legitimate reason.
Set Some Summer Goals
An easy way to keep your mind off the last year or next year is to work with your child to come up with a list of things they want to accomplish or work on over the summer. This can be a combination of events they want to attend, places they want to go and skills they want to develop.
Make sure you stick to SMART goal setting to be effective in planning for your summer. Don’t over-commit and make summer just another two months of school, though.
Have Fun
The most important part of your kid’s summer is just to have fun. They’ve worked very hard over the last ten months and have earned the time off. We all know that their childhood is going by way too quickly already, so make sure they can enjoy it while they have the chance.
Ensure that they take the time to enjoy the summer, get out and go on adventures, hang out with their friends and just enjoy their free time. Take the to spend some time with them, too. It’s a great opportunity to make the most of these two months and strengthen your relationship with them.
