This week we will be sharing a tip from our school psychologist, Mrs. Rollins, and her intern Miss Kelsey.

This week we are talking about – Summer Behavior Maintenance

Summer Behavior Maintenance is when the transition between school to summer or summer to school seems harder than it should be? Do these changes seem to spark tantrums or over-reactive responses from your child? Here are a few ideas to help our kids smooth out the transition, while still having a fun summer.

All kids benefit from structure and routine. It is especially helpful for children with anxiety, ADHD or Autism. Research shows that most children depend on the predictability and consistency that school provides, and having routines and structure during summer break can help lessen anxiety, oppositional behavior, and tantrums.

Here are some suggestions from Beth Arky at the Child Mind Institute to make the transition from school to summer and back again smoother:

1. Maintain Expectations – Summer should be more flexible, keeping a schedule similar to what they have a school including a consistent wake-up time, regular meal times and a steady bed time can really help.
2. Visible Schedule – one of the things your child may like best about school is knowing what to expect for the day’s activities. Having a posted schedule so your child knows what will happen and when can help calm anxiety and reduce whining. Depending on age or reading level pictures can be used.
3. Return to School Year Routine – About two weeks before school, try to practice school night bedtimes, getting up and dressed at the time school will start to do end-of-summer activities. This will help the beginning of the school year to go much more smoothly.
4. Fun Summer Activities – Schedule at least one activity for your children each day. It can range from playing a game together at home, going to the local park/splash pad, going on a hike, seeing local family members, going to the library, etc. Your child will look forward to these, be able to practice social skills, and can help motivate them to meet behavioral expectations at home.

If you get stuck on the last suggestion, the Provo Library Website has a calendar of events going on in the area. Some of the events are free and some are not, so be sure to check when planning! @ProvoCityEvents on Instagram is another great resource for finding events in the area.

Have a fantastic summer! See you in the fall!

Provo City Library, Empowering Parents, Childmind, and Nationwide Childrens all have more information on this topic if you are interested in learning more!

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages!