HOW TO HAVE AN AMAZING SUMMER

With only a few days of the school year left, every student is dreaming about Summer Break.  Why is summer so important for students?  Maybe it’s the relaxation, no school, or seemingly endless free time that makes summer feel so great. All of those things are major “pros” to Summer Break but I think one of the best things about the time off is it’s a great time for your child to grow.  

While your son or daughter may not be spending their time in a classroom it doesn't mean that they aren't growing. 

Let me share with you some of the great ways that your kids can learn and grow and have an amazing summer!

1)     Learn more naturally.

There is nothing wrong with the classroom, but the one thing that summer allows that the rest of the year doesn't is time to learn outside of the school environment.  We often don’t view other forms of learning as valuable as the time spent in class, but spending time with friends can help develop social skills.  Exploring a park or a forest can expand the imagination and ignite a passion for knowledge.  Summer allows for growth in students emotional skills and problem solving abilities.  It’s good for our brains to switch gears and learn in new ways – and Summer Break provides that opportunity.

2)    Live with low-to-no stress.

The older a child gets the more stress they begin to feel.  With the pressures to perform well in school and in sports they need a time to experience the world with low-to-no stress.  Summer provides a great time to take advantage of a time to be more relaxed and let students figure somethings out.  Unfortunately many parents view the Summer as time to get a head in sports or school and they miss an opportunity to relive stress and instead put more pressure on their child.  I encourage you to take advantage of the this built in time to “de-stress”.  You won’t believe the difference it could make for your child.

3)    Make lifelong memories.

Whether it’s spending time with members of the extended family or going on a trip with a group of friends, the summer provides the perfect avenue for students to do things that they will never forget.  I still remember my summers where we went on family vacations, went on youth group trips, and did crazy/messy/ridiculous things.  Don’t underestimate the power of a moment or a memory.  Use the summer as a way to encourage your child to do things they would never think about doing.

4)    Get refreshed.

Rest and relaxation are important for students.  As we mentioned earlier school is extremely stressful – homework, peer pressure, cliques and sports to name a few – are things that a child really needs to evaluate.  Maybe your child doesn't want to play the piano anymore.  Maybe they decide they need some new friends.  It’s hard for a child to transition away from activities or people that they feel they need to change – but providing space like Summer Break can allow them to evaluate where they want to go moving forward.  Giving them time to be refreshed is crucial.

We hope that Summer Break for your child is amazing.  We are hear providing some key opportunities to help them connect with people, make memories, continue to grow and in the meantime be refreshed.  We hope you are looking forward to summer as much as we are.  It’s going to be amazing!