Transitioning Into Summer

We have had an amazingly sunny spring and it looks like the summer ahead will be bringing us lots more of the same. We were able to bring out the outdoor water tables, sun screen and wet suits earlier this year and the children have been enjoying lots of active fun throughout these warm weeks. The light-filled days at Kidspace can feel more relaxed and expansive. Summer is also a time of transitions. Many university students on part time staff during the school term move home until fall.Regular teachers go on vacations. Graduating preschoolers begin their slow trickle away from us for vacations and fall Kindergarten entry. Younger children begin their gradual transitions to new rooms. We slowly morph into our new classroom communities by September when the light is slipping away from us again.

Kidspace families might be making some summer transitions at home, too: family vacations, home improvement projects, visitors coming to stay, graduations and weddings, family reunions, moving house, gearing up for a new job or new school term, maybe even retreating to a cabin by a lake. Change and new experiences, even when they offer pleasant and exciting possibilities, can bring with them some inherent stress or anxiety. Getting practice in handling changes in routine and setting helps children learn how to flex their adaptability muscles. Adaptability is part of one's temperament (an inborn personality trait). Some children are highly adaptable, some moderately so, and some take a very long time to adjust to something new. All children need practice at learning to adapt, so its not wise to shelter them from it but allow them to experience changes with your guidance and reassurance. Knowing your child's usual level of adaptability can help you anticipate how to best approach transitions with him or her. Keeping vacation itineraries simple with lots of built-in down time and a few child-friendly activities as options help all family members stay sane and feel more relaxed. When you are out of your normal routines, keeping some physical and outdoor activities in the daily mix can eliminate stress and crankiness. There are few more pleasant summer pastimes than hanging out at a swimming pool or a beach, or enjoying a cookout at a beautiful park.

Summer is an opportune time to start new routines that acknowledge the developmental transitions children are making by giving them opportunities for greater responsibility as they are able. Even one year olds like to "help." Allow children to work alongside you in simple family jobs. Give them an apron and let them hull the strawberries for breakfast, dry the plastic bowls, rinse out food cartons for recycling, empty the trash bins, pot plants, harvest veggies, and weed in the garden. Have them help you put the napkins and utensils on the table. Let them hold and empty the dust pan when you sweep, help you fold the towels and change the bed sheets, feed and groom the pets, wash the family's hairbrushes and combs, any small household task that they can do with you is great. When they start saying, "My do it all by myself," you'll know they feel like capable contributors to the family enterprise.Kids are constantly mastering tasks and transitioning to new abilities. Gaining a growing confidence in their skills helps most children toward a disposition to welcome new challenges and transitions to new experiences.