Welcome to The Bair Foundation Post-Permanency Department's Summer 2023 newsletter! With offices in Harrisburg, New Wilmington, Erie, Pittsburgh, and Altoona, The Bair Foundation is able to serve post-permanency families across the state of Pennsylvania. We hope you will find our quarterly newsletters helpful and informative on your journey as an adoptive family
It's the Summertime It's the Summertime It's the Summertime Struggle... Struggle... Struggle...
COMBAT THE BOREDOM BLUES WITH THESE GREAT VIRTUAL RESOURCES:
What's in this month's issue:
Resources for summertime boredom
Creating Structure for a Summertime Schedule
Family Fun time activities to promote togetherness
Summer survival tips for parents
5 Reasons Summer is Tough on Parents
The Bair Foundation Post-Permanency Support Group and Information Sessions
CAMP KINDA: campkinda.org is a different kind of camp for the summer time. This free, virtual summer experience is for kids from kindergarten through eighth grade and is designed to keep them engaged, curious, and to have fun. Create a free account to start exploring!
WHAT DO WE DO ALL DAY:
whatdowedoallday.com is a weekly newsletter that aims to answer that very question. Simple, "unplugged" learning activities like games and read-aloud help to "grow kids into intelligent, curious, and connected family members."
STORYLINE ONLINE: storylineonline net is hosting a virtual summer camp encouraging kids to write, share, and read their favorite stories. It's a virtual campfire (minus the bug bites). Beyond summer camp stories, there are recommended books for kids in all grade levels and activity guides for parents too!
GO NOODLE: gonoodle com allows you to make scree time active with 300+ dance videos, yoga exercises, and mindfulness activities for kids for free!
Join us on Zoom for an informational session to learn more about postpermanency services available to your family!
7pm - 7:30pm
August 8, 2023
October 10, 2023
December 12, 2023
February 13, 2024
April 19, 2024
Contact Sarah Funck at sfunck@bairorg to register
5 REASONS SUMMER IS TOUGH ON PARENTS (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)
eam truck, mid-week g from a bag of Doritos t myself. Summer has f guilt, annoyance, and halfway through the e lazy, hazy, crazy days
you to swim lessons, y. But here’s the good ith games or activities ilburg said, “Boredom more challenging and o next time your kids let them sit in it for a
ny kids (and therefore their very best Filling Here’s the good news: ovide them with some ch day). And while the ids to flounder a bit. much. In 2014, parents reported spending about $1,000 per child on summer expenses. And that’s nationwide! A quick search shows day camps in Bay Area averaging about $1,200 per month. Per kid! But want to look at the bright side of things? That same quick search showed an enormous variety of camps and activities available: zip lining, paddle boarding, sushi rolling, building remote control cars, woodworking and speed reading are just a few of the incredibly cool activities your kids will be able to access. Some of these are available through less expensive alternatives, like local Park and Recreation departments. So while summer can be pricey, it also gives your children opportunity to develop skills and try activities they might not otherwise have the chance to do
4 Wait I have a job! Summer really epitomizes the childcare crisis in our country School is pretty blissful for a working parent And when school’s out for the day, many kids walk to the classroom next door and, voila, there’s the aftercare program, where they are monitored, fed, and entertained until busy parents can pick them up Coordinating camps? It’s a full time job Which friends are going to which camp and to which session and how will they be transported? Oh, that camp ends at 3pm? Bummer if you work later than that you’d better get on the phone and coordinate childcare or a play date Not to mention all the new and unfamiliar people, experiences and venues to which both kids and parents have to adjust. But there’s good news here, too! Yet again, being forced out of their comfort zone is, for many kids, a growth opportunity. It’s here where many kids learn flexibility. Learning to adapt to new people and situations is a lifelong skill and it will serve our kids well to get some practice.
5.My kid has special needs! Special needs kids can suffer the most during the unstructured, spontaneous days of summer. Kids who struggle with social interactions? The built-in opportunity to mix and mingle in a supervised way all but disappears in the summer. And camp counselors, while well-meaning, enthusiastic, and really nice, aren’t always trained to recognize the unique needs of many kids. And summer means the daily support many kids need disappears (OT’s, PT’s and therapists need a break too, I suppose).
So while the anticipation of summer can fill me with anxiety, once the logistics are addressed and we’re plugging our way through summer, I have admit that I do find myself actually enjoying the opportunities that the flexibility of summer affords And should your kids continue to struggle with the lack of structure inherent in summer, give Parents Place a call to help you figure out what might be your best course of action to support your child through the last few weeks of summer
Are you interested in information about SWAN PostServices?PermanencyPlease contact Sarah Funck
717-985-6450
sfunck@bair.org
