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Summertime Fun and Planning for Families
A Published Article on June 25, 2008 by Phil House
I was approached twice in the past week about recommendations for children and their summer activities. School has been out for a couple of weeks, but its not too late to create a “plan” for your children for the remainder of the summer. How do you want them to grow and develop the next 60 days? Strive to include experiences that will enhance intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and physical growth. If you have had trouble motivating yourself to plan summer activities for your children and your family, remember you must aim to hit something.
Tentative Goals
Sit down and take a few minutes thinking about your children and list some tentative goals for each of them. What do they enjoy doing? What do they want to learn more about? What interests and abilities need to be developed? Do they need help with academic skills such as reading or math? Do they need to learn to swim? Do they want to learn more about nature? Do they need a part-time summer job to build responsibility, job skills and earn some cash? Have a council meeting with each child and get their input into goals they may have for the summer.
Set aside a quiet time where you and your spouse (if you have one) can plan summer activities according to each child’s needs and interests. Discuss your plans with your daycare provider if you have your children in daycare. Plan major events and mark them on an appointment calendar that you keep in the kitchen or in a place where family members can refer to it. Schedule planned activities each week. Consider mini-vacations throughout the summer as an alternative to a major vacation, given the high cost of gas and increasing cost of other basics in your budget. Be flexible in your thinking and planning.
In the midst of this planning, allow for free time daily and weekly so children do not feel schedule bound. Make a written list of things to do and keep expanding it. Try to be creative with your work schedule if you can, such as early work days, ˝ days, and Friday or Monday off. Take one- day trips to the Custer Battlefield, Pompey’s Pillar, or the Cody Museum, or hike and camp in the nearby mountains. Visit the Yellowstone Art Museum, Western Heritage Center or Peter Yegen Jr Yellowstone County Museum. Plan activities and excursions. “Tubing Out” or spending the day on the computer or playing video games most of the day is not an option.
Summer Camps
Its not too late for many day and longer camps offered through 4H, Scouts, the YMCA, churches, and sports groups.
With teens 15 years and older it is good to help them apply and interview for part time jobs. It appears that those jobs are harder to obtain this summer, so be realistic in your expectations. Working a part time job provides them learning experiences and opportunity for education in the world of work, especially in service industries. It keeps them busy and not idle, and allows them to make money for immediate needs and hopefully they will begin to put aside some for future needs and desires.
Check with your child at least weekly. What are they tired of or excited about? Modify your summer plan accordingly.
Whatever you do, do not fail to plan, and do not fail to work your plan! Concentrate on the positive, have fun, celebrate life in the summer together as a family, play together and laugh at yourself and with each other.
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