Cope With Mid-Summer Madness: Enforce Limits, Prevent Meltdowns, and Enjoy Your Kids

Tuesday June 30, 2009

Summer is all about relaxing the rules a bit, isn't it? We get to stay up a little later, sleep in a little more, and indulge ourselves in guilt-free summer fun. There's a trick to surviving these easygoing summer months as a single parent, though: Never completely toss your rules, expectations, and boundaries out the window!

The following strategies will help you cope with mid-summer madness so that you can really enjoy having your kids home from school:

Maintain a consistent routine. From meals, to snacks, to bedtimes, try to keep your kids on a fairly consistent schedule. While it doesn't have to be exactly the same as your school year routine, it should pretty much stay consistent from day to day. This way, your kids can adapt to the summer routine and know what to expect from one day to the the next.

Plan some fun outings at least twice a week. For your kids, summer vacation isn't just about having a break from school--they want more time with you, too. So make sure that you plan some summer outings and day trip together at least twice a week. Not every trip has to be an all-day event, either. It can be as simple as running over to the library together, going out for ice cream, or taking your kids swimming at a local community pool or lake.

Limit your kids' screen time. It's easy to let your kids spend their summer days playing video games or chatting with their friends online. But keep in mind that these activities can be so enticing for kids that they're unlikely to monitor themselves without your input. You might even notice a correlation between extra long bouts of screen time and an increase in impulsive behaviors and/or sensitivity. (I know I do, with my own kids!) So if you want to stave off end-of-the-day meltdowns and challenging attitudes, place reasonable limits on how much time your kids spend watching TV, playing video games, and chatting online.

Encourage unstructured play time. Even older kids need plenty of unstructured time to daydream and explore who they are. You can facilitate this "head time" by encouraging your kids to play outdoors, engage in fantasy play, or spend time doing something creative.

Give each child a list of daily chores to complete. What tasks do you want your kids to do each and every day? From making their beds, to putting away their toys, and helping with the general household chores, communicating clear expectations in this area will help maintain your sanity this summer.

Schedule play dates for your kids. Play dates with other kids can be a valuable tool. Aim for planning one play date for each child per week. This will allow you to get a few minutes to yourself, carve out one-on-one time to spend with your other children, and get to know the families of some of your children's closest friends.

Make sure you get some "Me Time," too. With all that you're doing to facilitate an enjoyable, relaxing summer vacation for your kids, make sure that you do the same for yourself, too. Try to carve out at least 15 minutes of "me time" for yourself daily, and aim for getting out of the house--alone--at least two times a month.