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Parenting requires balance. Children and parents alike eagerly anticipate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break. They believe this will be a more relaxed time, however in many cases it is anything but. Within the first week or so, the kids begin fighting with one another and the parents begin to pull their hair out. In between all the battles, the kids are usually complaining of nothing to do and being bored. So here are a few ideas to help put an end to all the squabbling. 1. Do not leave your life completely without order. It is a good idea to maintain some type of structure over the summer. It's okay to want a break and to become a bit more laid back, but not too laid back. Get your kids involved in some type of weekly activity. If you can't find one that interests them, organize your own. This is a great way to work an activity into your schedule and still include some of their friends. 2. TIME OUT. Be sure to give yourself a break a little bit over the summer. Let the kids go to Grandmas for a week or create a parents day out trading with other parents once a week, so everyone gets a break while the kids get time with their friends. 3. FREEBIES. Believe it or not, there are lots of free activities around; all you have to do is look. Regal Cinemas for instance is offering free morning movies around the country. Just Google Regal Cinema Free Movies for more information in your area. These movies are offered at 10am and tend to be kid titles, but they are first come first serve and completely free on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. A great way to keep structure, have fun, and have the full movie theater experience without spending a fortune. There may be other free things in your area, for instance, our local bowling alley is offering a free bowl for kids 16 and under on Wednesdays. All you have to do is pay for the shoe rental, and you can bowl for free for 2 hours. Now I dont love to bowl, but it is a good activity for the kids, and I can even squeeze a little reading in. 4. WORK TOGETHER. Talk to your kids and see what they want to do. Make a schedule of activities and stick with them, but be sure not to over structure your summer, or it may begin to feel like work. Be flexible and willing to change things up when things are not working or need to be done differently. Be sure to enjoy your kids and the whole summertime experience. You only get this kind of break once a year, so make it fun and enjoy the heck out of those kids. Remember they are only young for a short time, so make the most of it. Even those with the best parenting skills around will often seek parenting advice from other moms and dads. If you have a question or an idea be sure to visit the parentinginformed site.
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