3 R’s of Summer:
- RHYTHM – Identify your child’s internal/external time or pace of alertness and plan accordingly.
- RHYME – Create and/or select high interest and novelty activities/tasks.
- ROUTINE – Delineate routines into step-by-step directions that result in safe, achievable expectations.
“3 R’s of Summer” as a foundation for summer plans. Many families could use this time to really concentrate on remediating the chaos experienced
during the school year (minus the school part.) All too often, parents
at the end of the year comment on how excited they were to have a break
from school and schedules. Yet summer is the perfect
time to create the very routines and schedules that seem so hard to
maintain during the school year! The external structure that your child
needs to stay grounded is crucial year-round, not just between September
and May. It regulates their internal clock and provides the consistency
they need to function.
3 P’s of Summer
Unstructured days can mean the difference between a progression and regression of skills. The “3 P’s of Summer” give you the time to build a houseful of skills that your child needs for the upcoming school year…and for life!
PLAN – Create a visual schedule that is reviewed daily.
- Think of your child’s day in 30 to 60 minute blocks of time and consistently place across the week.
- Include
daily life skills like getting up and going to bed, chores, academics,
structured and unstructured play time, and free choice into the
schedule.
- Identify your child’s internal/external time or pace of alertness and plan accordingly.
PRACTICE – Repetition and consistency become the daily success mantra.
- Delineate routines into step-by-step directions that result in safe, achievable expectations.
- Use a roulette wheel of activities to provide interest, but schedule its use.
PLAY – Helps develop and engage executive skills.
- Platform
to practice the rules for social interactions, cooperation, planning,
negotiation, self-management, frustration tolerance, conflict
resolution, and problem solving.
- Provide time for structured and unstructured play in schedule.
…but they also need a break!
A lack of structure and routine during summer breaks can make rigorous
routines difficult for children struggling with acclimating back to
school schedules. The patterning of accessible behaviors is time
consuming. When children spend their summers in an ‘anything goes’
environment; their return to school turns into a battle both there and
at home. So, if you need a break from routine, take a short one, and
make sure you make it a part of the overall schedule. Structure and
routine make them feel safe because they know not only what is expected,
but how to achieve it.
Just to name a few ways to find structure and routine…
Crafts,
camps, vacations, day trips, play dates, zoo, parks, matinees, cooking,
gardening, board/card games, reading, individual & group sports,
hiking, picnics, biking, skating, book clubs, trampolines, theatres,
concerts, drama clubs, music lessons, dance, exercise classes, pottery,
sewing, rock-climbing, gymnastics, letter writing, family/friends
connections, swimming, kite flying and camping.
Have fun and enjoy your summer!