Keeping kids busy during summer: A working mother's guide

Why should you plan your kids’ summer?

Free time is the leading cause of boredom and laziness in children. Imagine your children without organizing their time during the school holidays; this means staying up late, sleeping until late afternoon, watching television for long hours, and spending time in front of electronic screens. Therefore, planning your children’s vacation and ensuring a routine, activities, and system is essential to avoid the accompanying boredom and chaos. Here are some ideas that will help you organize your children's time during summer vacation:

• Sit down with your children before the end of the school year and find out what activities they would like to do during the summer and whether there are specific skills they would like to develop during the vacation.
• Take the reins early and start planning. If your children show interest in specific activities, consider looking for summer camps, language-learning sports, or programming centers. By planning ahead, you can secure a spot for your child in these activities, ensuring a productive and engaging summer for them.
• Register your children's names and reserve seats for them before the end of the school year and the start of school vacation. If you think getting a spot in a good school is complicated, wait until you try to get them into a good camp! It can sometimes be just as tricky.
• Plan logistics, such as transportation to and from home and departure and return times, to fit your work schedule during the summer.
• Write down special appointments, such as trips and parties, that you may have to attend and add them to your agenda to avoid any mistakes due to your busyness.

Dividing the Summer vacation

School vacation is an opportunity to accomplish many things, but it is important to divide it to make the best use of it. Here are some suggested sections so that you and your children can make the most of the school holiday:

• It is preferable to allocate part of the children's summertime to join a summer camp, a training center, or both.
• It is important to allocate time during school vacation to travel with the family and to spend quality family time during the mother and father's annual leave.
• Reading is very beneficial for developing a child’s various skills, so it is recommended that this skill be developed during the summer and that the child be encouraged to read rather than spend most of the time in front of screens.

Ideas to keep children busy during school holidays

1| Join a summer camp

Summer camps are an excellent and organized entertainment and ideal for children, especially when the mother is working. It is also an opportunity to spend time with friends, play, swim, and go on exploratory and recreational trips. Schools usually run summer camps, so the faces that your child sees will be familiar to schoolmates and teachers. It is the best option for young children who may be afraid of going to a new place and dealing with new people.

2| Enrol in a training center

Educational centers are an excellent destination during the summer vacation, as there are many skills that your child can learn during the school vacation—starting from learning a foreign language, learning programming, designing electronic games, or other cognitive and artistic skills.

3| Sports

Whether it is through a sports club, playing football matches with family and friends, swimming in the pool or the sea, or, if the weather allows, going out for a walk after dinner, exercising is one of the most important pillars of summer vacation. It will increase children's activity and help them fight boredom, obesity, and laziness as well.

4| Reading and writing

We talked about the benefits of reading, and for the child to benefit more, we also encouraged them to write. The child needs to get used to journaling from a young age to develop his linguistic skills and strengthen his ability to express and narrate. Journaling is also essential to help teens release their feelings and thoughts. In addition, writing a summary of your child’s books will increase his ability to focus while reading and enhance his vocabulary and ability to express themself.

5| Camping

Whether in the backyard, on the beach, or in the lap of nature, give your children this wonderful experience during the summer vacation. Camping will help you create unforgettable memories with your children and will develop essential life skills in them. It encourages them to love nature, movement, exercise, and benefit from fresh air.

6| Spend quality time with family

It is essential that the children's holiday is not rigid and full of activities and that they spend quality time with their parents after everyone is very busy during the school year. Make sure to spend quality time with your children daily by taking a short walk in the evening. Or sit on the balcony and eat a healthy snack or watch a family movie. Summer memories are among the most precious memories your children will never forget throughout their lives; make sure to be a part of them, no matter how busy you are.

7| Strengthening social bonds

It may not be easy to visit family and friends during the school year because children are busy studying, but during the summer vacation, there is a lot of time and not many obligations. Therefore, taking advantage of this and visiting family members and friends is essential. Strengthening social ties and getting children accustomed to being with family members and friends because social relationships are crucial for building personality and psychological and emotional stability.

Conclusion,

Dear Working mom, do not be afraid of the long duration of summer vacation. With a little organization and some fun and valuable activities, you can make it a fun and beneficial period for everyone. We wish you and your family a wonderful summer vacation.