Summer Fun or Blues-June 2019

As summer is in full swing, parents tend to plan their kid’s schedule to keep them occupied or use it as a transition time. The summer becomes a time for relaxation for some kids, and for others, a time for trying to encourage kids to take charge and make improvements. Neither is a bad idea, but time and perspective are key. The kids are already maturing and growing up at record pace. More is expected from them at an earlier age. The kids of this generation are learning things that we would only know in college. Part of it is social media, access to info, and the expectations placed by society. The emphasis on getting ahead is immense and at times hard to keep up with. We need to let kids be kids. There is enough time to run the rat race. In this race, the kids are actually losing independence and problem-solving skills.

Each day and moment is planned out and if any issues occur … things are addressed immediately- because who wants their kid to be behind. We need to give them time and space to be kids. They need to do things they enjoy and don’t necessarily have time for during the school year, maybe do nothing at all. If we do have them running the race during the summer, the best summer learning will be for them to figure out things on their own. Independence and experience give kids the success even if they fail at it. Failure is a step closer to success.

Rimi Singh, MD