Today we are all about helping you figure out your children’s summer holiday activities, while building some really good healthy habits. Don’t need to thank us, just try our little wisdom nuggets and see if they work for you.
Holiday Activity Calendar
6 weeks is a long time for children to be staying home, so try to plan their daily activities by creating a holiday calendar. It builds anticipation and structure. Don’t do it on your own, though. Involve them in the planning. This helps them develop some organising skills and boosts their creativity. Planning as a whole is a very good habit, which will make life easier for your children when they grow up. And if you make it fun for them, it will be one more amazing memory they had with you during the holidays.
Add a Cleaning Day
You should have one day a week in which children will engage in various cleaning and home organising tasks. This will help them develop a habit of maintaining their living environment and looking after themselves. Don’t forget to put laundry reminders and clothes separating/ folding games.
Introduce a Daily Rewards Chart
Children absolutely love rewards and this is a positive parenting method that can be used for the establishment of healthy habits to last a lifetime. Daily tasks could include making their bed, eating veggies, exercising, doing some learning, brushing their teeth, etc. For each completed task, you can give them a sticker and when they collect a certain number of stickers you could give them a treat – anything that you decide is appropriate.
Limit Screen Time
Digital devices are omnipresent and it is so easy for young people to get lost in virtual reality. Busy parents often put on the TV or let a child stay on the tablet, just so that they can have some peace or get work done. However, unlimited screen time can be very dangerous for the development of children. Healthy patterns and habits include digital device hygiene. This means you should strive to have no more than an hour of TV or tablet per day for your little ones. Even better, introduce no screen days, where they have to come up with other creative ideas how to entertain themselves.
Plan Some Days in Nature
The connection between a human and nature is built in childhood. In the past, it was much stronger because people’s lifestyle was different, more in line with what God has made, versus what man has made. In today’s world, we live mostly in cities and we don’t have to produce our own food or survival tools. As relieving as that may be, it also carries the burden of disconnecting with nature. And that link is vital for our wellbeing. During the holidays, plan at least one weekend away and go camping with your children or to a remote beach, not visited by many people. Try to unplug from the hustle and bustle and show your mini-mes how to appreciate nature. This will be a valuable life lesson and they will be thankful for the skills you taught them.