Beat The Summer Blues

LISTEN WELL

Children like to share feelings about their school, classroom talk, or any anxiety they have when you are paying close attention, perhaps during meal time or before bed. Make sure you listen closely and discuss the scenarios. It’s often best to avoid trying to cheer them up instantly, even though listening to their problems may be heart-breaking. If the problem is them missing the free schedule of summer holidays, tell them you miss it too, and that it’s only a few months until the both of you can carry on with the holiday schedule once again. Once children feel heard, they are willing to explore solutions together.

INVOLVE THE KIDS

Teach your children the importance of scheduling by assisting them with their homework calendar, setting playdates, starting a chore sheet, creating a lunchbox menu, and picking outfits for after-school activities. As we know, children often have opinions about what they want to wear, eat at school, or do at home. Allowing them a little freedom to be in charge of their own schedule not only makes them more enthusiastic, but also gives them a sense of connection to the activity.

TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEMS

While it isn’t ideal to think of potential problems with your child, it’s always better to prepare yourself and him/her for the scenario. If your child is starting a new nursery, visit ahead of time, go over the route there and try to make your child understand that an exciting journey lies ahead. You can also role-play situations they might have trouble with. For instance, if they are under the impression this year will be harder, or if he/she is now doing the commute on the bus, try to discuss the matter further to give them a sense of relief.

RELAX TOGETHER

A few minutes of meditation can change the course of your day. We hear this all the time, yet, finding the time to practice it is a mission. By teaching children relaxation skills to use whenever they start to get anxious, they are already in the habit of calming their mind. The activity of teaching kids to be present and mindful is being practiced in certain schools around the country, however, it’s great if they can practice it whenever required too – perhaps at the end of the first half of the day, during recess, or when placed in a difficult situation. You can also teach children to visualise images of happier experiences from the past or the summer holidays. To do this, show them a photograph, speak about the memory in detail, and try to get them to respond in a positive way so that they recall this image whenever required.

SET GOALS

Review the previous academic year – grades, progress, and activities – with your child, and write down a list of goals for the upcoming year. This not only gives them something to work towards, it will also give your child an understanding of their progress. If your child looks forward to summer travels or long weekends, you can incentivise the goals by noting down an activity or experience he/she would like to try when the time does come around.