Summer vacation is in full swing for your kids right now, which means it’s up to you as a parent to help them stay safe and engaged. But when almost 21% of teachers report student apathy as a problem in the classroom, keeping your kids engaged over the summer might feel like a bigger challenge than you expected. Here are a few tips to help you keep your kids safe and continue their learning all summer long.
Create Routines and Stick to Them
When school is in session, there’s a set routine to the way your kids spend their days. For many kids, all of that structure flies out the window when summer break starts. It’s up to you to make sure that doesn’t happen! While nobody wants to run a boot camp form their house, establishing a loose routine for most of your summer days can help you and your kids feel productive, stay energized, and maintain a good balance of relaxation and learning. There’s nothing wrong with spending the first few days of summer vacation without a routine, though. Once those first few days are over, sit down with your kids and ask for their help determining the best routine for the rest of the summer. Keeping your kids involved in the process of creating their own routines can help them learn that they have control over how they spend their time and that they have choices available to them. Of course, things like technology limits and bedtimes should be a little more firm. It’s also a good idea to make time for some kind of learning every day, whether it’s a nature walk or a writing exercise.
Practice Outdoor Safety
Getting outside is one of the best parts of summer vacation, but it’s important to practice good outdoor safety habits with your kids while they’re romping around. Ordinarily, almost 11 million kids will attend summer camp in the U.S., but you’re no camp counselor. If you’re not sure what outdoor safety entails, there are a few simple safety strategies that every parent should employ to keep their kids safe over the summer.
Apply Sunscreen – Sunscreen is one of the most important safety tools you can employ for your kids over the summer months. One sunburn might not feel like a hot-button safety issue, but the skin damage that we sustain from UVA and UVB rays can be tied to the development of cancer later on in life. Not only that, but a sunburn is a highly unpleasant experience for your kids. So to ensure maximum sun safety, make sure you apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 every time you and your kids go outside. If you’re planning on spending the whole day outside, make sure you reapply every two hours or so.
Stay Hydrated – Dehydration is more common than you might think in kids, and it can cause exhaustion and irritability. If you’re not going to be home for a little while, make sure you bring a bottle of water for yourself and for each of your kids to make sure everyone is staying hydrated so they can enjoy the day in safety.
Identify Common Natural Hazards – Kids are curious about the world around them. So when they see a strange plant during your nature walk, they’ll probably be tempted to go out and touch it. But if that plant ends up being poison ivy, you can definitely look forward to a nasty rash developing within 48 hours of exposure. Before you head outside with your kids, make sure they know not to touch any strange plants, bugs, or animals without showing you first. Being ably to identify poisonous plants or dangerous insects before your curious kids interact with them is a key safety skill.
Summer safety doesn’t have to be a hassle when you’re spending the season with your kids. With a good routine and a few key safety tips, you should have no problem keeping your kids safe, healthy, and engaged this summer.
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