In an era of helicopter parenting where a child’s activities are planned to the last minute, there is a move afoot to give more time to just be a kid in the summer.
“Plan something fun,” Algonquin Inodewiziwin EarlyON Coordinator Christine Luckasavitch says. “In my experience that little bit of extra effect to spend time outside as a family can go a long way.” Whether it’s something as simple as sitting in the backyard and talking or something more elaborate like a scavenger hunt, Luckasavitch says that time together is important for the kids and for the family.
Social worker Lori Davies says after a busy school year with sports activities and music lessons, a chance for kids to hang out with friends, do crafts or watch some movies is okay. “I do believe that kids need a little bit less structured time but there still needs to be some routine,” she offered. “But not back to back activities and things like that.” Davies says there needs to be downtime so kids have a chance to take it easy.
Luckasavitch says that limiting screentime is important to do now that kids have so much free time. “It’s all about those connections and face-to-face conversations and spending time together,” she says.
She adds that you don’t always need to have your calendar full. “I do see that and we do have conversations with them about that and I do try to give them a bit of caution,” said Davies. Her message is that the schedule needs to be left open for unscheduled fun. “I think probably a few hours a day,” she said. “I know parents have to work and children need to be cared for and often that looks like camp.”
With files from Doug Crosse