Summertime is upon us

You can feel it in the air. Summertime – in all of its glory – is upon us. Walking through the school courtyard or your nearest outdoor mall, music is blaring, bubbles are blowing and children are screaming and playing outdoor-in shorts and short-sleeved-ts, no less. While our weather may not have fully figured it out yet, Summer is definitely around the corner. That can only mean one thing: complete and utter routine upheaval!!

Later bedtimes, more sugar-y foods, beach days, out-of-the-norm meals, camp schedules, and fun. What else accompanies all of this? Tantrums! Changes in behaviors and the need for discipline when you just want to take it easy and relax.

While you, the parent, don’t have to wake early to pack lunches or stay up or put out tomorrow's school clothes, this change in the daily routine often illicits less than pleasurable behaviors from the little ones. Why is this? Summer time should mean “relaxation staycation”. Unfortuantely, in today's day and age, this typically isn’t the case and we end up running ourselves ragged, just as much as throughout the year.

So, here's my one and only tip for this Summer. Actually, consider it a challenge. That's right...the Summer 2016 Challenge: DO NOT OVER-SCHEDULE YOUR FAMILY! In fact, why don't you try to under schedule. I bet your child(ren) will thank you for it. And you'll all be much happier, engaged with each other and reap the rewards of a truly fun Summer - the way it is supposed to be, used to be and can be, again. Can you do it?

Parenting: Get Into It!