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Plan for rewarding summer
A Published Article on May 13, 2009 by Phil House

Summertime Sanity for Families

School will be out within a month and it is not too late to create a “plan” for your children for the summer months. I have been approached recently about recommendations for children and their summer activities.


How do you want your children to grow and develop over the next 100 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 it works best if you have a plan to follow.


Tentative goals
Sit down and take a few minutes thinking about your children and their current age and stage of development. List some tentative goals for each one of them. What do they enjoy doing? What do they want to learn more about? What interests and abilities do they need to develop? Do they need help with specific 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. Have a combined “family council” and establish an overall family plan 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 can keep in the kitchen or in a place where family members can regularly refer to it. Schedule planned activities each day and week.



Consider mini-vacations throughout the summer as an alternative to a major vacation, given current economic concerns. Be flexible in your thinking and planning. There are many places to see and things to do within a day or two of home.



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 should not be an option.


Camps for kids
Its not too late for many day and longer camps offered through 4H, Scouts, the YMCA, churches, and sports groups.


Check into the educational and experiential programs offered through the public school and local colleges for children. Check into what is being offered through the city parks and recreation department and make use of these opportunities. Remember Shakespeare in the Parks and other events that usually come to Billings and numerous towns in Montana during the summer. These are great ways to invest an enjoyable summer afternoon or evening.



With teens 15 years and older, it is good to help them apply and interview for part time jobs. Those jobs are harder to obtain this summer, so be realistic in your expectations.


Working a part time job provides youth with learning experiences and opportunity for education in the world of work, especially in service industries. It keeps them busy, and allows them to make money for immediate needs. Hopefully they will begin to put aside some money for future needs and desires.


Check with your children at least weekly. What are they tired of or excited about? Modify your summer plans 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. Make this a sane summer to remember because you thoughtfully planned it!


Phil House, Psy.D.

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