Take Some Time Off
Whether you take off a whole week or just a couple of long weekends, dedicating special time to explore and adventure with your family is a great bonding experience. In Central Florida, we are positioned between two beautiful coastal beaches with lakes and springs all around us. If you can, take a little time off to be with your family and enjoy your summer vacation together. Your kids will notice your presence.
Stick To A Routine
Even though it’s tempting to let your kids stay up late, watch all the tv and play all the video games they want, those things don’t add up to a memorable summer vacation. Try to maintain the same routine as you have during the school year and you’ll notice a number of benefits. First, your kids will be up and energetic in the mornings, ready to have fun at the beach or build a fort in the backyard. Your kids will get the most out of summer vacation if they’re well-rested, well-fed, and not hopped up on video games. Plus maintaining a normal routine during the summer means you won’t have to worry about transitioning them back to school in August.
Send Your Kids To Camp
In the book Homesick and Happy by Dr. Michael Thompson, he discusses how transformational it can be to give your kids the experience of sleepaway camp. This day in age children have far less independence than in generations past and the culture of protective parenting “actually deprives children of the major developmental milestones that occur through letting them go–and watching them come back transformed.” If you’ve toyed with the idea of sending your kids off to sleepaway camp you may find that this is just the right tool to help them grow up into confident and independent young people. While it may be too late to enroll your kids in sleepaway camp this summer, it might be a good time to do some research for next year.
Use these parenting tips as a guide to help your family make the most out of summer vacation, but remember, all families are different and no fancy excursions are necessary for your kids to grow up with a fun, adventure-filled childhood. Follow along for more parenting tips, and feel free to contact us for more information about St. Barnabas School and our excellent summer camp options.
