Sunday Snippet: Surviving Summer Boredom & Sibling Rivalry

Summer is a great time to take advantage of spending time with your kids when they are out of school. However, we all know that sometimes our kids can get rambunctious, and as parents, we need to be ready for it. Julie Freedman Smith and Gail Bell give us some amazing tips for the summer in their article, Surviving Summer Boredom & Sibling Rivalry, check it out!

Summer brings a change of pace. Evenings stretch later and mornings aren’t so harried. But casual calm can evolve into casual chaos.

Togetherness 24/7 can be quite taxing. Emotions get out of hand and sibling rivalry skyrockets. Expecting our children to play together all the time is unrealistic, especially if they are out of practice.

We feel like yelling, “CAN’T YOU TWO JUST GET ALONG?!” Well, maybe they can’t.

After 10 months of life being scheduled to the minute, a lack of schedule can be really tough on children. But it also provides a great teaching opportunity for parents. Knowing that too much togetherness will result in disaster, we can talk with our children ahead of time about the need for each of them (and us) to spend time on our own during the day in addition to playing together.

Some parents like to set this out at the beginning of the day:

We can all be together until lunch time, but after lunch, I have to do laundry and the two of you must spend some alone time until 2. Then, let’s grab the bikes and head to the pool.

Other parents leave things more to chance, recommending alone time once behaviour goes downhill.

Whatever the style, the following tips can help us set our children up for success so that they feel capable.

1.  BEFORE summer starts, set expectations around screen time, chores, responsibilities, family
   holidays, exercise, diet, bedtimes, curfews, etc. This is based on what matters in your family not on what happens down the street. 
2. Before things go bad, explain that it’s normal for them to not want to play together all of the time. Teach, “I need some time to myself.”

Children get summers off, but whether we work from home or work in the home, our tasks continue.

Communicating our needs to our children up front sets clear limits on our time. If everyone is going for groceries on Thursday mornings, build it into the schedule so that there are no surprises and fewer arguments. A posted calendar enables everyone to see what the week holds — adventures and duties alike.

While keeping track of events on a calendar can be helpful, it doesn’t mean that every moment of each day needs to be planned. In our society, many children are used to being entertained throughout the day. Parents often believe that they must fix boredom. In reality, our children may need help to become involved in things but they don’t require constant entertainment.

Allow your child to be bored this summer; it is an opportunity for them to turn in and away from social peers and pressure. Allowing them nothing time might just provide the time to learn who they are, what they are actually truly interested in, and the pleasures of spending time alone. It is also a lesson in figuring out something to do, how much time is in a day and how to best use it.

Boredom offers another opportunity for teaching:

For our children:

1. Before they get bored, create a What Can I Do List. Make a list of books to read, games to play, craft projects to create, stories to write, pictures to be drawn, puzzles or word problems to solve, friends with whom to play (phone numbers too). (These can take place in a tent in the backyard or in a fort in the family room.)
2. If they aren’t in the habit of independent play, start them out for a small stretch of time and then work their way up.

For ourselves:

Plan a respectful response to the dreaded, “I’M BORED!” [Whining back, “If you’re bored with all of these toys around, I’m going to start throwing them away!” doesn’t really help.]

a. You may continue to be bored or you can find something to do from your list. I have faith that you will make the right decision for you.
b. Perhaps your body and mind need some quiet time — why don’t you check your list.

Often I’m bored means I need to be with you. Acknowledge feelings and teach them to ask for some time with you instead of whining about being bored.

Lastly, when our children are home all day, we cannot totally disengage. If we tell our kids “You’ve got me for an hour before I have to make lunch,” then we need to provide undivided attention.

Phones, computers, devices need to wait. We would expect the same of them. Multi-tasking our attention creates misbehaviour that demands our attention. Set your family up for success and have a great summer!

Source: Surviving Summer Boredom & Sibling Rivalry