Summer Activities for Children; Two Philosophies of Thought

Do kids need time off from activities in the summer or do they need to step it up? This is two different lines of thought. This article examines these two different lines of thought.

Two Lines of Thought

Successful athletes, musicians, dancers and artists say that their parents would drive them to over achieve during the summer break. Then there are others that believe that time off helps refresh and motivates children to resume with new vigor. Which philosophy is best for your child?

Suppose I told you that every child was different. Would that make a difference? I coached sports for 33 years at all levels. This is what I noticed.

What a Parent Can Do

If you had a child that started showing times of sluggishness, resistance to practice, poor performances, loss of enthusiasm, fatigue, unhappiness and a "I don't care attitude", then it is time for a break.

On the other hand, if you had a child that was peaking at performance, they were always happy and eager to compete, you might want to let them continue to practice and work on improving.

If you choose the latter of the two, you can try doing some different variations, to help your child. For example, you could reduce practice time. Cutting back on time, keeps them fresher. Change up your rewards. If you reward your child for their effort, try something different. The key here, is finding out what works best as a motivational device. Another idea is to not take the practice as so serious. Keep it low key and reduce the work load. Some coaches recommend cross training during the summer. If your child is a runner or biker, go to swimming. If they are into dancing, go to a different form of dance (something new).

Let Children Be Children

Some parents don't know how to let their child just be a child. It's easy. Do nothing. Let your child have the freedom to do what they want. They will figure it out.

Some kids will hang out with their friends. Others will play their favorite video games. Kids will do what kids do.

Some parents think that if their children do not have structured activities, they will get into trouble. Show some faith inn your child. You can still monitor their behavior. When children are given free time, they realize that have a responsibility for handling this freedom.

Breaks for Parents, Too

Giving your child a break gives a parent a break, too. You don't have to chauffeur your child to every practice or game. Your child can take on some home responsibilities and give you a break. You can get more things done around the house.