Keeping Kids Occupied Through Summer
With the final month of summer upon us, you might find your kids finishing up with summer camp or summer school and finding yourself out of activities to do with them. When talking about keeping kids occupied, its important to remember that it takes some balance and a little bit of boundary setting from parents. There are simple steps you can take to ensure your kids enjoy every bit of summer – outdoors and away from their phones!
“If you want to get kids off their phones, you need to get off yours.” [1] This advice is from parenting expert Susan Newman, PhD. She suggests setting aside some time where the whole family unplugs and can just enjoy each other’s company. Making kids aware of time limitations for cell phone or electronic use is an important way to keep them occupied with other activities while on summer vacation and throughout the year. Having parents disconnect as well will allow your kids to see everyone participating in the house rules. Additionally, heading out to the beach or having your own backyard track and field day are some cost-effective ways to get young ones excited about being outdoors. [2] Its also important to keep kids interacting with their friends during their time away from school. Why not plan a weekly rotation of play dates and divide it between a few other families? This would give your kids something to look forward to and a small break for yourself!
Promise of social interaction and fun summer activities may be enough for some children to put down their cell phone or walk away from a video game, but others may have a harder time in doing so. Gaming addictions and over-usage of electronics are a serious issue with many people today – taking away devices from kids may even cause anxiety or a depressed mood. At The Therapy Centre, our team of committed and experienced clinicians work with children, adolescents, parents and families to help with a wide array of concerns your child may be facing today, including gaming addictions, or social isolation. With two locations in Oakville and Hamilton, we are also accessible from Brampton, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Halton Hills, Guelph and the Niagara Region.
[1] Whelan, C. (n.d.). 10 Ways To Get Your Kids Off Their Phones That Don’t Require Bribery. Retrieved from: https://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/get-your-kids-off-their-phone/
[2 ] NorthShore University HealthSystem, Community Contributor. (2018, June 25). Keeping Kids Engaged In The Summer. Retrieved from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/community/chi-ugc-article-keeping-kids-engaged-in-the-summer-2018-06-25-story.html
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