How to Make it Through Summer Holidays Without Losing Your Mind
Tags: Parents, Education, Summer, Parenting, Boredom

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Our families spend the whole school year immersed in our individual worlds, each kid has their own class, their own friends, their own issues and we only spend evenings and weekends together as families. But summer vacation throws everyone together and things can get out of hand. Sure, the first few weeks of summer holidays are always great because the kids are jacked to be out of school and find ways to keep themselves busy. But as July comes to a close, your summer soundtrack rapidly becomes filled with, “Mommmmm, Taylor took my [insert coveted item here],” or “Daaaddd, I’m bored,” or every parent’s absolute favourite, screaming, shouting, and slamming doors.

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So, how we do survive the summer without ripping our hair out or screaming at our kids? We’ve got our top three tips to help you get through it.

1. Let them be bored.

Okay, so they’ll drive you bonkers for a bit, but letting kids be bored is good for them. In our world of constant engagement and endless stimulation, our kids are continually looking for more, they want to be entertained perpetually (and it’s exhausting, right?). But taking away screen time and devices and letting your kids figure out what to do with that boredom gives them time to hear themselves, to know themselves, and to be themselves. In doing so, they’ll power their own imaginations, work on critical thinking, and build some independence. Psychology Today says that boredom fosters the “the ability to self-play, create, generate, self-engage [which] is still a profoundly important skill in the development of a healthy human being.” The bottom line: let your kids be kids, you don’t have to entertain them and they’ll be better for it.

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2. Take advantage of free activities and community resources.

Get moving — your kids’ natural impulse is to move, so keeping their bodies busy will be fun and will tire them out too! From parks programs to festivals, bike paths to public spaces, free activities are abundant in summer and give you a chance to get out of the house with (or without) your children. Today, all it takes is a quick Google search (“Free things to with kids in [your city] this summer”) to find free programming and fun places to go. You can also use Google maps to find bike trails, spray parks, and playgrounds in your city and set up a bike tour and picnic with your kids. On rainy days, check out your public library’s programming, have family game day, build indoor forts, or have a reading day.

3. Don’t overschedule.

When summer is so brief, it’s tempting to fill up your days with activities, camps, day trips, and family vacations, but when we do this, we quickly get burnt out (not just parents, kids too). Back to the boredom tip, free play and free time to relax and hang out around the house are crucial to the whole family’s wellbeing. During the school year, kids are constantly busy, free time is scarce, so summer isn’t just about freedom, it’s also about recuperation. Schedule some activities, of course, but don’t go overboard because unstructured play is important for emotional and intellectual development. Our kids need time to relax, explore, and take risks and they can’t do that if they’re constantly shuttled from one place or activity to the next.

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If all else fails, just ditch the guilt and stick to your guns. And remember, your kids just want to feel free and loved and you can 100% give them that.