I want to take a moment to break down something for the parents that seem a bit confused as we're starting summer break. The whole "keep your kids busy because it keeps them out of trouble" thing is designed for older children. It is not designed for 4, 5, 6 year olds that still need down time on a daily basis. Note that I did not say "nap time" there. They don't necessarily need a nap (though they might benefit from it). They need down time. They need time to relax their little brains and calm their little bodies. Despite their high energy attitudes, they are not invincible.
I keep hearing of parents that have their kids in camps or activities every single day of summer break to "keep them busy to stay out of trouble." Well, mom, your 4 year old will do just fine staying out of trouble if you let them....wait for it.....just be a kid. I'm all for activities and giving them something new to do. I love letting them try new things and gain new experiences. However, there's something to be said for letting your kids just go explore the backyard and find roly polies. There's something to be said for taking a walk and playing "I Spy." There's something to be said for making homemade popsicles or playing Simon Says in the sprinkler. It doesn't have to be a $500 camp to be enriching to their minds.
There's also not a need to run them every single day. Providing a child constant entertainment is a dangerous habit to start. THAT is EXACTLY how kids get into trouble. They're so used to being entertained 24/7 that they don't know how to entertain themselves and start looking for adventure. Guess what....it's rarely good adventure. Over-stimulation is a very real cause of misbehavior in children of all ages. Not letting them relax and defrag their brains is a great way to trigger argumentative behavior, attitude and more. Sound like a fun way to spend your summer? Didn't think so.
The point is that before all of this "we need to keep them busy" nonsense, there was a real movement to allow real life experiences to busy them. They viewed outings as special treats and found great ways to entertain themselves from making forts to making up cool new games. They spent their summers being free and just playing....and that's more important than people realize. Before Barbie's dreamhouse made the noises, we were making creative noises ourselves. Before Lego kits came with instructions, we were creating our own castles, robots and forts. We didn't need someone to tell us how to do it....we used our imaginations. There's something to be said for the creativity that brought us great minds like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and other brilliant people that have made millions of dollars from an idea.
You definitely can choose to roll your eyes at me. In fact, it wouldn't be the first time (I have teenagers at home). What you should do, though, is really look at your child and think about what they would love to do with their time if they had the freedom to do it. Allow them to just be kids and develop that awesome unique part of them that they'll use their whole life.
Happy Summer, folks.
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