Time off from school and from structured sports activities during the brief summer months has many benefits for children. It allows them to be free, explore interests, rest and reconnect with their families.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says free and unstructured time for children is not only healthy but essential for helping them reach important social, emotional and cognitive developmental milestones, as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.
Still, when school starts in the fall, parents would do well to get kids back on track before the summer totally ends.
“Everyone needs some unstructured time away, but even though it is summer there are a few little things they should be thinking about doing in order to prep for the next grade,” says Dr. Rebecca Swan, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the pediatric residency program at Vanderbilt.
Getting back on a routine
Bonnie Fulmer of Smyrna has two children, Caleb, 14, and Olivia Stegall, 16, as well as a third child who has lived with her family for three years, Savannah Hollenberger, 16.
Between driving them to activities and making sure they are up on time each day, she’s just as relieved as they are for summer. And she admits they cut it close getting back on a routine for August.
“Getting their sleep schedule back on track doesn’t really start till about a week before,” she says. “Right now they are all messed up, staying up late and sleeping in late. But isn’t that what summer is all about?”
Swan, a mom of school-age children herself, admits getting off of the school-year sleep schedule takes no time at all, and while getting back on track is going to be different for every child, it is important to tackle the issue well before that first 6 a.m. day rolls around.
“You need to gradually make sure you are getting their bedtime back to when you actually need to get up, so we talk about moving it back a half-hour each week until you reach the desired bedtime,” she says. “Letting them stay up until midnight the week before they need to be getting back up at 6 in the morning is obviously not going to work. Your child needs nine to 10 hours of good sleep, and sometimes it takes a long time to reset that.”
Fulmer’s youngest is starting his freshman year at Smyrna High School in the fall, and has joined the football team for the first time. She hopes that will make being a freshman a bit easier, especially since he had hoped to go to Smyrna’s newer Stewarts Creek High.
“He’ll be on the freshman football team, and I think being involved with that will make the transition from middle school to high school much easier,” Fulmer says.
Swan says parents whose child is making a transition between schools can help make it less stressful by looking to their own friends who already have a child at that school they could meet beforehand. Or, if you’ve moved, try to arrange to meet another student during the summer.
“I think it is important to talk to your child and say, ‘Hey, you are going to a new school, what are you thinking about? What are you worried about?’ ” Swan says. “See if you can identify what they are concerned about so you can address those issues. If they are worried high school is going to be hard, let them know they can do it because they have come this far. Try to be encouraging.”
Establishing a safety net
When Fulmer’s husband died unexpectedly from a heart attack a few years ago, her kids were 11 and 13. They did not let their grades slip or get into any trouble, and for that Fulmer is grateful. They have always been open and honest with each other, she says, and that was a key to getting past the initial shock and pain.
“It’s never easy to talk about the tough issues, but I do OK with it,” Fulmer says. “I'm not afraid to hurt their feelings or make them uncomfortable. That’s life, and they will have to deal with that the rest of their lives. They understand that if I don’t talk about the tough issues and address them then I’m not doing my job as a parent. And they come to me about their issues, as well, which is comforting to me as a parent.”
No matter what the problems are, they all feel serious to kids. It is up to parents to get to the root of any issues.
“When your child first goes to kindergarten, you know their concerns are separating from Mom and Dad,” Swan says. “When kids become middle schoolers and high schoolers, the world is much more complicated and it is harder for us to accurately know what our child is concerned about. It is important to be open and talk to your child.”
This is especially true of parents sending kids off to college for the first time. Swan says kids can be as worried about the food they will eat as they are about flunking out, a surprisingly common worry among her patients.
“That might not be the first thing a parent thinks about, but the child is worried they are not good enough,” Swan says. “They are worried that Mom and Dad are paying for them to go to college and they are going to flunk out.”
Swan says finding someone from a sporting activity or the church community who is a couple of years older to talk about what it was like to move into a dorm is helpful because sometimes kids don’t want to talk to Mom and Dad.
“I have started to talk to them about college, but I’m not really nervous about it and they aren't either at this point,” Fulmer says. “Ask me again in two years!”
Hungry Girl’s tips for packing healthy lunches
Lisa Lillien — better known as Hungry Girl from her Food Network television show and many books — has built a career finding healthy swaps for the most indulgent treats. She says parents facing the daunting task of packing school lunches after a summer of respite don’t have to sacrifice health and flavor for convenience, and there are more options than ever before.
“There are so many great products available now that have reasonable nutritional stats, and they’re also made with more natural ingredients,” she says. Her latest book, “The Hungry Girl Diet,” hit stores in March.
What are some good bread swaps?
I love Flatout Foldits — and high-fiber tortillas. They’re fun and great swaps for white bread, which typically contains just empty calories.
What veggies hold up best after hours in a lunch sack?
My favorite long-lasting veggies are definitely baby carrots! They’re cute, sweet and fun!
Are PB&Js OK?
A PB&J is definitely a good choice for kids. I would tend to stick with a natural peanut butter (and stick with just a tablespoon or two at most!) and some low-sugar preserves. And use a bread, tortilla or flatbread that has around 100 calories and lots of fiber.
What are some healthy, grab-and-go food products?
There are great Greek yogurt options that kids love. I tend to recommend something that is reduced in fat but adds a fruity mix. Chobani makes some fantastic products for kids. Stonyfield Organic YoKids Squeezers are yum. Annie’s makes the best fruit snacks. Applegate Farms makes these great lunches for kids called Half Time Natural Lunch Boxes that come with deli meat, crackers, cheese and a snack. They're fun, easy and all natural.
What are some quick, fun things parents can make on the fly?
It’s so easy to throw together healthy wraps for kids, fun fruit salads, etc... One of my favorite super-easy kid-friendly lunches? Toss chicken breast chunks with some chopped pickles, a little broccoli slaw and a tablespoon or two of BBQ sauce. Wrap it up inside a high-fiber tortilla. So good!
How can parents get the kids involved?
I find that kids love getting involved with food prep these days — probably because they see so many cooking shows on TV! They also like to help if the recipes are, one, picked by them and, two, super-easy! If you hit those two marks, the kids will likely love to participate!
Any tips on not losing steam a few weeks into the school year?
Change it up! Try not to get too repetitive and keep the fresh food ideas flowing.
— Hollie Deese, for The Tennessean