Avoiding the Summer Learning Slump

My brothers and I recently went to breakfast during a week when we all visited my father in our home town. As we usually do when we visit home, we reminisced about our childhood, fun events, and experiences we have reminisced many times. Since we were visiting during the summer months, we talked about summer street fairs, days spent biking around the neighborhood, playing street hockey and basketball at the local park, and cookouts in our backyard. We also discussed my mom and how she organized our summer experience.  We didn’t realize it then, but the experience she gave us is one that I have shared with countless families in my role as a school principal, as it ensured a strong balance of fun, responsibility, and learning.

How Parents Can Structure Time

One of the pitfalls of the summer is the abundance of free time kids have. As parents, we must be intentional about helping kids fill that time when they are young so they build the life habits they need to lead productive lives as teens and adults. My mom had the perfect approach that kept my brothers and me productive, but allowed us to have a healthy balance of fun. She made sure that we had daily tasks or chores to complete. We had limited screen time and we always had time and resources for reading.

The Value of Chores

For chores, we had a list of To Dos that she wrote and had on the counter before we even woke up.  We got breakfast, were able to relax a bit, but then we had to get started on our chores. These included cleaning, organizing, and helping out with all the yard work. Each day was different, but we knew the routine and were able to do the things we wanted to do once the work was done. This was not only effective for running our household, but it also helped us learn the important life lesson of not procrastinating or putting off what needs to get done first.

Coupon Time Rewards

Although my childhood was in the 80s and 90s, and screens were far less ubiquitous than they are these days, we did have a TV and a computer. There was still plenty of entertainment between movies, TV, and games that could easily fill a day, but mom created coupons for us.  When we finished the chores for the day, we earned 30 minutes of screen time. We could earn extra time, up to 90 minutes per day, by doing extra chores or by doing extra reading. She also encouraged us to save our screen time so we could watch a movie as a family a couple of times a week. We often saved our minutes so we could participate in the family movie time.

Reading for Fun

In terms of summer learning, she made sure that we were always prepared to read. Each year on the first day of summer, we would go to the book store and each of us would get to buy a couple of books. We also took regular visits to the library so we could supplement our book collection. This helped if we didn’t make the best book choice at the beginning of the summer, or if we got through our original book selections quickly. As part of our summer requirements, we were expected to read for at least 30 minutes per day.

Creating Meaningful Summers

Finally, and possibly most important, we were not allowed to say we were bored. We had chores, earned screen time, enjoyed a room full of books, and explored the wonderful outdoors. If she heard us say we were bored, even if it was not said directly to her, she would fill the entertainment void with more chores. We learned quickly to find new adventures outside, or to enjoy more relaxation time reading our books.

I am eternally grateful for the summers my mother designed for my brothers and me. As I now try to create meaningful summers for my daughter, I realize the effort and planning my mom had to put in to make sure our summers were time well spent. I appreciate the life lessons she taught us without my brothers and me even being aware of the lesson at the time. I encourage all parents to think about how you can structure summers for your kids. And as you design what works best for you and your family, remember to always include summer reading!