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While most children’s excitement is bursting by the end of the school year, summer break can be a source of stress for some parents. With less time to themselves and infinitely more “I’m bored” cries, it’s best to start preparing now for summer break with the kids.
Whether it be campfires, hikes, board games, or jumping on a Springfree trampoline, summers are ripe for time spent together.
With just a few preparations, your summer with the kids can go from a source of stress to a truly enjoyable time spent together. Here are five tips to help you prepare.
Plan and maintain a regular schedule
While it may be enticing to let your kids run free, Child Mind Institute is quick to observe that keeping some semblance of their school-year schedule can pay dividends in how a child behaves and cooperates with the demands and activities summer provides.
Structure is a good thing for not just children, but adults as well. This is especially important when it comes to sleep. Small children still need their naps, and teenagers need to be mindful not to make a habit of sleeping in until noon.
The National Sleep Foundation explains that routinely changing bedtimes and how long one sleeps in can have a detrimental effect on your child’s circadian rhythm, which could make it all the more difficult to get back on schedule come the new school year.
Be okay with being spontaneous
While it is recommended to keep some semblance of a regular schedule, it’s important to allow for spontaneity within that schedule. With technology so much a part of a child’s life so has become planning and structure, which, unfortunately, can take away unexpected and rewarding experiences.
Psychology Today exudes the benefits of being open to spontaneous opportunities or activities, noting that “spontaneous outings, unstructured afternoons, and spur-of-the-moment decisions can be incredibly rewarding, and pleasantly surprising”.
Furthermore, being open to spontaneity will keep your mind sharp, reduce stress levels, and will keep an element of excitement going for you and your kids when the moans of “I’m bored” start to surface.
Set goals
Before the end of school, sit down with your kids to discuss what they would like to do and accomplish this summer. In addition to the many fun activities that can be had, establishing some family goals and rewards can make summer vacation much more satisfying.
Consider setting reading, service, personal, and savings goals for your family and then center activities to achieve them. Then, once these goals are achieved, celebrate and reward their efforts. This will keep children productive and accountable during the summer, especially when tied to the rewards.
Go outside
Perhaps the best preparation for summer you can do is to plan for your kids to have an array of outdoor activities. Games, hikes, camping, campfires, water fights, swimming and many more are key to a number of health, mood, and developmental benefits.
According to Business Insider, some of these benefits include: short-term memory improvement, reduced stress, eliminated fatigue, reduced depression and anxiety, vision improvement, lower blood pressure, and improved ability to focus.
And while not explicitly mentioned in a medical journal, outdoor activities, like jumping on a Springfree trampoline, can give hours of fun and exercise for kids and adults.
No matter what you choose to do outside this summer, safety is key to having a good time together. Committed to engineering and building the safest and most durable trampolines in the world, Springfree Trampoline is the best trampoline you can buy for your family. Don’t take risks with the faulty designs of former years. With more than 20 years of innovative engineering and a worldwide presence, Springfree Trampoline is sure to bring enjoyment for the whole family for many summers to come.