Summer is the time when children from one to 21 are home form school. Although the summer is generally characterized as fun and games and vacation time, in actuality, it can be a time of great stress. The transition from school to home can be a formidable one for both student and parent alike- whether preschoolers or college coeds. Here are some ideas of how to make summer more fun and less stressful!

l      Have the children, young or old, be responsible for the planning, shopping, and cooking of a meal. Don’t overdo, lest the novelty wear off!!

l      Give the children, young or old, responsibility for planning a special weekend day of family fun to be enjoyed by all, all within the normal constraints of time . Cost, and feasibility.

l      Help the children plan, organize, and play in a community or family game series, that will continue throughout the entire summer. Make it an annual community/ world series!

l      Host an age and reading level-appropriate book discussion /ice cream sundae special group for neighborhood children.

l      Have weekly drawings of the household chores, to see who does what chore for that week. Be flexible- trading is allowed!

Have fun!! It might work so well that you’ll want to continue it throughout the year!