4 Helpful Tips for Parenting Through the Summer

As a parent, you’re always adjusting. Whether it’s a new routine or season of life, there’s always something changing. And when summer vacation rolls around, chances are life will be at least a little different for your family.

While the ideal vision of summer is that of long, lazy days filled with popsicles, pool time and vacations, it’s not that way for everyone. For millions of families, summer can mean other things such as childcare stress, or difficulty balancing activity and work schedules.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do each day to ensure your summer moves along smoothly no matter what your family’s situation is like. Here are four to keep in mind.

1. Focus on Health

While overall health and wellness are important every day of the year, there’s something special about the summer. A lot of this can be attributed to the warmer weather and the ease of spending time outdoors. Summer is simply a great time to focus on your health and everything that comes with it.

Your kids might be in sports, spending time at camp, or on the go more frequently. You might be spending more time as a family taking hikes or playing backyard games of soccer. However, you might also be indulging more than usual with delicious barbecues, trips to the ice cream stand, or s’mores over the bonfire.

As a parent, it can be a challenge to ensure everyone is getting the proper nutrition they need to stay healthy. Prioritizing health is simple and even if your diet might not be as balanced as you’d like it to be, you can still ensure everyone has the nourishment they need. This is where supplements come in.

The supplement world is a large one and choosing which products to use can be overwhelming. Finding a company you trust, such as USANA Health Sciences, can take the guesswork out of the process for you and make the selection process quick and easy.

2. Don’t Let It Become a Free-For-All

Part of the allure of summer is that the schedule of the prior weeks no longer exists. And when you have kids, it’s important to remember that there’s a fine line between forgoing all structure and keeping one in place once summer rolls around.

While it might be tempting to let your schedule slide, ask yourself first if you’re going to be happy with possibly undoing any not-so-great habits once summer rolls to an end. Maybe it’s a lot of extra screen time, no set bedtime, letting the chores slide, or slacking off with important things such as reading and math.

This doesn’t mean you have to maintain the same sense of schedule throughout the summer but identifying the most important parts of it and staying true to them will make all the difference once the summer comes to a close.

3. Stay True to Your Reality

It’s too easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of what summer vacation is “supposed” to look like. The truth is, that’s quite the stretch from reality for most families. If you can stay true to your reality and be content with your normal, chances are you’ll have a wonderful summer.

If you’re frequently on social media, consider taking a step back from it during the summer months. Not only will this allow you to be more present, but it will also ideally cut down on any feelings of jealousy or depression as you see your next-door neighbors living it up on a tropical island.

It’s okay if your summer plans consist of a blow-up pool and a few lawn chairs. It’s also okay if your plans include travel and checking something off your family’s bucket list. Stay focused on your family, appreciate what you have and enjoy it to the fullest.

4. Let Your Kids Be Bored

When was the last time your kid complained about being bored? How did you handle it? If you jumped to attention and tried to fix it for them, you’re not alone. That’s a natural parental reaction. However, what if you were to just sit back and let them sit with their boredom for a bit?

The best part of being bored is the opportunities it presents. Kids have amazing imaginations and even though it sometimes might take a bit for them to tap into it, rest assured it will happen. Older kids might decide to take up a new hobby to fill their time. You can offer suggestions but do your best to sit back and let them fly.

Summer is the perfect time to switch gears, whatever that might mean for your family. It can be made even better with just a few adjustments to your daily routine and your overall outlook.