Many times when parents hear they need to be intentional, they wonder how to do this when they are working all day. During the holidays is a great time to spend more time. Here are some tips on how parents can be intentional during the summer.
During the term when kids are in school, parents barely have time to spend together as a family. The summer holiday is a great time that parents can jump start being intentional parents.
Why Summer is Great
Children are home from school, they are more relaxed and they can use this time to learn new skills or keep learning. Parents should not underestimate the value of using this period to be intentional when it comes to their family time.
Tips on How Parents Can Be Intentional
Meal Times
Meal times especially dinner are easier during the summer holiday. Children will not have homework to get done and so the evenings are less stressful. Parents can maximize this time to spend time together. Time spent around the table are valuable times for the family to bond.
Spending quality time together
Summer holidays should be a time when parents spend more quality time with the children. Whether you take time to travel or not you can take time off work and spend quality time together. Do some fun things and start family rituals; this is one of the great ways how parents can be intentional and encourage bonding. When you spend more time with the children you will notice traits and behaviors you might have missed during the school year.
Teach Values
This is a great time to spend time on the values you want to teach your children. For example even with the best intentions it is possible that children do not engage in chores during the school term. During this time let them get into chores, basic things like cleaning, learning to cook, laundry and much more.
Work Experience
The summer could be a great time for your children to learn about your job or career. Take them to work with you, if they are old enough they can get involved in a summer internship and get work experience. Children who learn the value of money and earning early have a big advantage.
Keep Your Children Learning
According to research “Long summer breaks have been shown to cause some children to lose ground academically. It’s a phenomenon known as “summer slide,” where students return to school in the fall having lost a full month of learning, on average”.
Parents are instrumental in ensuring that children keep learning throughout the summer. This learning can be a mix of organized activities like summer camps or at home encourage them to read a book a day. [Summer Camp Guide]
Explore Together
Parents should spend this time exploring with their children. You could explore your city together if you are staycating – go to the local market, visit iconic places, drive to the village, visit their hometowns etc. If you do travel, make sure you take time exploring the city, learn and do things together. Do not stay home all day watching television.
[Read: 10 Vacation spots Nigerians Can Go To Without a Visa]
Take turns and let everyone pick one activity that they are interested in and the whole family has to get involved. Depending on where you live you might enjoy summer hours whereby you close earlier – this gives you valuable time to spend with your family. You could also approach your employer or boss and ask for summer hours whereby you close earlier. This would enable you to get home early; even if it is one day a week and spend more time with your children.
One of the critical parts of being an intentional parent is that you spend quality time with your child, communicating and doing things that build family togetherness. Summer holidays is a great time to start.
[Read: Best and Worst Parenting Styles]
Enjoy the holiday!
