Plan Ahead to Make Summer as Enjoyable as Possible
Making summer as good as it can be
Planning ahead and feeling prepared is one way to deal with the fear of uncertainty. Everyone will feel better knowing what's to come. You'll probably have a better chance of success if you consider your child's strengths, interests, and behavioral limitations. Then develop your summer plans around that. Build in flexibility as much as you can, so on your child's "off" days you'll be able to change direction without too much stress.
Here are some ideas and strategies to consider as you prepare for summer.
- Your child may have difficulty differentiating your stress from his own. If you are worried or fearful about summer, your child may be also. Address your own stress.
- Consider "thinking" of this time as another adventure on your parenting journey.
- Breathe deeply when thinking about summer increases your blood pressure.
- Shift your thinking from dreading to enjoying. Why not!? I'm not being condescending or trite here. You really can change your outlook and free your mind up to more fully explore your summer options in a creative way.
- Nurture yourself for a change.
