Parenting Tips For Summer

BY ERICA SCHIFANO

Summer vacation! This phrase can evoke both parental joy and trepidation. On one hand, it can be a relief to sleep in a bit, relax at home in the mornings and plan family time together. On the other hand, too much free time may lead to bored, restless kids.

Active Parenting Fosters Healthy Families

Hands on parenting plays an outsized role in fostering positive child/parents connections, benefitting family dynamics no matter what your family situation is like. Most of us do not have the ability of spending every summer day with our children but with a degree of planning, it’s relatively easy to come up with inexpensive, fun activities that will keep your family busy, create memorable moments, and foster the conversations and relationships that play an integral role in long-term communication with your children.

Get your kids involved in planning!

Hands-on parenting requires putting your devices away during an activity and asking your kids to do the same. Be sure to include your children in planning your days together- ask them what they want to do and explore some new interests with them. If they have a hand in the plan, they’ll be more interested and receptive to the activity. It can be helpful to plan out the week’s program as a family on Sunday. Make a list of meals for the week or outdoor activities for nice weather enjoyment as well as indoor activities for the inevitable rainy day. Your local library is a fabulous resource for free, fun and educational opportunities and a wonderful place to meet other parents and children.

Create themed weeks or special days. A

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Please send resume to: ipicone@antonmediagroup.com ne@antonmediagroup.com schedule for “Animal Week” might include bird watching, hopping a fishing boat at Captree or walking the shore at north or south shore beaches. Visits early and later in the day yield greater rewards with wildlife viewing, not to mention technicolor sunsets. If it’s rainy, watch The Lion King, for example, or do an animal craft. The internet offers hundreds of inexpensive craft ideas-children also have a wonderful imagination!

The Great Indoors

Rainy days at home can be relaxing and fun, perfect for baking a special treat, cooking a meal together, working on a jigsaw puzzle, arts & crafts, playing a board game or even making up their own board game! These activities encourage conversation, skill development and bring a satisfying end result. Selecting a movie or two that the family can enjoy together is much less expensive than an outing to a movie theater. Check out your local library’s book collection and introduce one of your childhood favorites to your kids. It’s a great way to talk about your own childhood and how it is different or similar to your children’s experiences. Don’t forget to pop your own popcorn or create a special snack.

The Great Outdoors

Families from all over the world visit Long Island beaches, parks and spend a day in New York City. You should too!

The Long Island’s Children’s Museum, the

Nassau County Museum of Art’s sculpture garden, the Planting Fields Arboretum, Old Westbury Gardens and many other beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces are just a few of the places for inexpensive family fun. You may be able to reserve free passes at your local library.

Think back to your own childhood and what you enjoyed as a kid. Remember the fun you had riding your bike, rollerblades or scooter? Long Island has many parks and family friendly bike trails. A destination adds enjoyment and interest. How about a lemonade stand? The website Playworks www.playworks.org/ offers plenty of fun games and ideas for groups of all sizes.

When you want to stay closer to home, try water balloons, sprinklers, or a chalk art contest. Planting an easy to grow garden of flowers and vegetables can encourage a lifelong interest in gardening.

While there is no shortage of summer fun on Long Island, its important to remember to keep a regular bedtime for your kids. If kids stay up too late and sleep in every morning, the transition to school will be more difficult.

The summer days are precious. Start making your plans for a memorable summer.

FCA’s Family Support team provides vital services to children and families who are vulnerable and at risk. Our Lynn Vanderhall Nursery Co-Op program, Pregnant & Parenting Teen Support (PACT), and Family Support programs all utilize an active parenting, hands-on approach that benefits all families.

—Submitted by Family and Children’s Association