Parenting involves making decisions every day for your child. Some of these decisions are easy, for example, what to eat. However, some of these decisions may not be so easy. One such decision is what to do over the summer. To be a teacher, a parent, or a friend, or to juggle them all? Sharing below a few pointers that may help you decide: 

Consistency is key: consistency is an irreplaceable part of a child’s life, especially for children who need routine and structure to function better. Summer break is a huge pause in their everyday routine of school life. Regular input therefore is crucial to help children get a sense of routine and maintain continuity.

Balancing Rest and Growth: For some children, especially the shy ones, summer break is a great space to take a break from the social demands of school. Enrolling in summer camp or a similar class could help these children learn skills and continue to grow without the burden of social interactions with groups. Summer camps provide added support for shy ones, with less formal structure and smaller groups, which can be a great bridging step for kids. 

Skill Building: Summer camp can be a great space to catch up if a child is struggling to keep up with the demands of school or the skill level of peers. Summers are an extended period where therapists or other professionals can guide the child and work on their skill-building. 

Add more feathers to your child’s hat: Summer is a time when it’s not just about studies; all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So, go ahead and explore various hobbies your child can pick up during the summer. 

Energy: A child is used to a school routine where their energy is spent for the majority of the day. When they break for summer, the child has energy but no structure to spend it on. Therefore, during the summer, most kids run around with excessive energy (and often the parent follows them with no energy). Word of advice: use this time to enrol them in camp or some physical activity to spend that energy. (and save yours!)

Parent burnout: You’re running around chasing your child while they spend their energy. In the initial couple of days, you’re glad for the exercise, but 2 weeks pass by. Now what? You realise this is not the workout you wanted. It’s not even the workout you needed. Spending time with your children is good, and yes, summer provides that time, but make sure you have quality time and constructive time. Having free time for the entire day is only going to result in you chasing after them or keeping them engaged, resulting in you missing out on your schedule for the day and often resulting in burnout. Remember, it’s their summer break; unfortunately, adults don’t get that, so plan and prepare for the summer accordingly. 

                  To continue therapy or not to enrol in summer camp or not should not be a rash decision or one based on impulse. It should be based on your child’s needs. Each child is unique, and their need for therapy or input may vary. It’s crucial to do a cost-benefit analysis of your decision before taking the final call.