Summer Survive and Thrive Tips

06/27/19 • 28 min

Ahhhh, summer! Relaxed lazy days....oh, who are we kidding?!? For most parents in the Northern hemisphere, summer is a time of stress. The kids are home from school and the parents have to somehow juggle their regular work schedule while also trying to keep their kids engaged, active and on screens for less than 12 hours a day. Navigating summer responsibilities and expectations is a challenge for the whole family. If we can give you one piece of advice, it's this: Relax your standards. You don't have to take the kids to the pool weekly. Your kids can stay up later; strict bedtimes really aren't as important if the kids don't have to be anywhere in the morning. PJs are perfectly acceptable summer attire, at least sometimes. And no one -- seriously: no one -- is expecting a gourmet meal every night. Focus your attention on what's important to you and your children instead. Our summer tips will help you do just that. In this episode, Janet & Jen discuss: Common summer challenges Why boredom is perfectly OK (in fact, it's important!) Balancing scheduled vs unscheduled activity How to prevent "summer slide" (loss of academic skills) Fun FREE activities Summer jobs for kids (even kids younger than 16) Summer schedules Recording summer memories Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode: Surviving Summer -- classic Building Boys post Kids Bowl Free -- 2 free games of bowling daily for registered children at participating centers Planet Fitness Teen Challenge -- high school teens ages 15 - 18 can work out at any of 1,800 locations throughout the United States and Canada for FREE all summer long Free Meals -- No Kid Hungry runs a summer meals texting service. Text ‘FOOD’ to 877-877 to find free summer meals sites in your neighborhood. On Boys Episode 117: Summer Jobs On Boys Episode 114: Sleepovers, Camp & Separation Anxiety On Boys Episode 118: Business Tips for a 12-Year-Old Entrepreneur Keeping Bored Boys Occupied During the Summer Holidays -- Building Boys post Summer Safety: Preventing Injuries -- Building Boys post STAY CONNECTED: Join the Building Boys FB group and the Boys Alive! FB group Be sure to opt-in at Boys Alive! .com for your free report on "Understanding Boys Better - and Why He Needs You Now More Than Ever" and BuildingBoys.net Also, follow us on Instagram: @on.boys.podcast and @boys.alive Twitter: @ParentAdvisor and @BuildingBoys LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetallison/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlwfink/
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Previous Episode

Backcountry, Barbells & Boys

What do you get when you mix two fitness- and outdoors-minded dads with two moms who are staunch advocates for boys? A freewheeling discussion that touches on everything from fatherhood to weapons play and the current lack of movement in schools. Janet met Jaremy Day, co-host of the podcast Backcountry & Barbells, when she spoke at an event in Washington state. As a former boy and current dad of 2 boys & a girl, he's all too familiar with the challenges facing boys today. His co-host, Joe Szymanek (pronounced Sh-mon-ek), is also a father. He has three young children (one is a boy) and also teaches middle school. Despite the fact that they are both former boys & current parents of boys, neither Joe nor Jaremy were really aware of the obstacles and challenges that make life difficult for boys -- until Joe discovered Christina Hoff Sommers & The War on Boys via Joe Rogan and Jaremy heard Janet speak. Think about that: we are a culture that pins so much blame on individual boys that even men and boys aren't aware of all of the ways school and society work against boys' interests. All too often, boys, parents & teachers think the problem lies within the boy, without recognizing the many ways we've all contributed to the problem. For instance, in many schools, students who do not have PE that particular day stand or move for less than one hour a day. (Joe actually calculated this out with his students.) Growing children who NEED movement to develop their bodies and minds are denied the opportunity to move and often punished if they do so out of turn. (Raise your hand if your son has ever gotten in trouble for wiggling or squiggling or refusing to stay on the rug in the classroom.) via GIPHY In this episode, Janet, Jen, Jaremy & Joe discuss: The value of outdoors time & play The war on boys How schools contribute to boys' struggles Corporal punishment The influence of coaches Creating a culture of movement (including specific ideas parents & teachers can use at home or in the classroom) Screen time (because a group of parents cannot come together today without touching on screen time!) The plight of high-energy boys Hunting and guns Weapons play Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode: Backcountry & Barbells -- Jaremy & Joe's podcast StandUpKids.org -- website mentioned at 13:58 NASP -- National Archery in Schools Program Joe Rogan Experience #724: Christina Sommers -- podcast episode mentioned at 5:03 The War Against Boys: How Misguided Policies Are Harming Our Young Men, by Christina Hoff Sommers -- book mentioned at 5:43 Hudson Highlands Nature Museum -- includes the Grasshopper Grove natural playground mentioned around 37:45
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Next Episode

Encouraging Independence

As we in the United States celebrate our nation's independence, we reflect on our boys' drive for independence. Toddlers cry, "I do it!" when we attempt to put on their clothes. Our teens scowl when we tell them what time to be home. Their frustration -- toddlers' & teens' alike -- is driven by their desire for mastery and control. Children are wired to learn. They're wired to gradually take on more and more responsibility. "Kids," Jen reminds us, "have an innate drive for independence. You can use that to your advantage." Of course, it's not always easy for adults to release control. Our boys' judgement seems questionable at times (often, in some cases!). We worry for their safety. And sometimes, we simply don't recognize that our little ones are capable of more. We don't see the ways in which our well intentioned actions may be handicapping our boys' development. It's never too late to begin giving your boys more independence. In this episode, Janet & Jen discuss: Age-appropriate responsibilities Why ages 0-7 is the perfect time to introduce skills & healthy habits (Spoiler: O-7 is the Age of Imitation) Why investing in right-sized tools is a great investment in your child's development How to make time to allow your child to develop his skills How building a child's independence prevents entitlement and apathy Why it's so hard to give our boys autonomy How to get buy-in from older boys who aren't used to managing their own affairs How to deal with resistance Dealing with the heartache & pain of letting go Independence vs interdependence Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode: Why Boys Need More Independence -- Building Boys post Parenting: Raise Independent Children -- excelled Psychology Today post 5 Steps to Untangle Your Parenting - Janet's online course; mentioned at 12:20 How to Deal with an Unmotivated Boy -- one of Building Boys' most popular posts Hygiene Help for Tween & Teen Boys -- On Boys episode 120; mentioned at 15:30 The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives, by William Stixrud PhD & Ned Johnson Waldorf Education turns 100 this year. Find out more about Waldorf Education here: https://www.waldorfeducation.org/ STAY CONNECTED: Join the Building Boys FB group and the Boys Alive! FB group Be sure to opt-in at Boys Alive! .com for your free report on “Understanding Boys Better – and Why He Needs You Now More Than Ever” and BuildingBoys.net Also, follow us on Instagram: @on.boys.podcast and @boys.alive Twitter: @ParentAdvisor and @BuildingBoys LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetallison/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlwfink/
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