School’s been out for summer and now, so is your kid’s schedule.

For those couple months of warm weather, kids are engaged with family vacations and camps, but there is still a lot of down time. Although everyone deserves a well-earned break, it can be difficult for kids to get back into the swing of things, especially when their new school year is just around the corner. It’s not entirely their fault though. The summer can dysregulate our children without even trying.

Summertime Madness

What happens during the summer that can throw our kids off course?

• Bright, Sunny (and Longer) Days. The number of hours from sun up to sun down is the longest of the year. While that additional light puts us in better moods and boosts our energy levels, it makes going to bed a bit trickier. Our parents like to tell stories about how in the summer, their curfew was when the street lights came on, which in the summer would sometimes be well past 9pm. Why do I need to sleep if the sun’s still out?
  
  
• Heating Up. Our record-breaking warm temps can also increase stress levels; making us more irritable, aggressive, agitated, and anxious. Additionally, kids have a harder time adapting to the heat as it takes longer to increase sweat production compared to adults. They also produce more heat due to their faster metabolic rates, making them more susceptible to dehydration. They are literally melting under the hot sun.
  
  
• Rain Out.The summer months can also bring massive amounts of rainfall. Although this ASMR can be soothing, turns out storms can stress children out. Aside from the typical fears of dark clouds and loud booms, the drop in barometric pressure causes a release in stress hormones that can cause irritability, inattentiveness, and restlessness (not to mention headaches).
  
  
• Inconsistent Structure. Routine and schedules run like well-oiled machines during the academic year. They need to be in order to make it to school on time, finish homework, attend extracurriculars, complete chores, eat, sleep, and repeat. When the summer hits, those six hours spent at school (or even the couple hours for afterschool activities) are on hiatus. That dedicated time slot is now vacant (no school = limited structure), resulting in an uneven distribution of energy throughout the day leading to boredom, hyperactivity, increased sleep and snacking.

Get ‘Em on a (Sensory) Diet

We all do things to keep ourselves alert and focused during the day and so do kids, but perhaps not in the way we would like them to (jumping off furniture, passing out on the carpet, screaming down the hallway, excessive water play in the kitchen, you know what I mean?). Sure, it’s the summer, but if you work from home or want to maintain a bit of your sanity, incorporating a sensory diet wouldn’t be a bad idea.

From our throwback post, a sensory diet is intended to help your child maintain an appropriate arousal level to complete daily tasks and activities throughout the day. While the summer may not be as demanding, energy levels (or lack thereof) should still be dialed in: even more so when transitioning back into the school year. A sensory diet can help structure and balance your child’s sensory needs in an effective manner. By learning how to listen to and accommodate what their body is seeking, they are essentially learning how to self-regulate (a skill necessary to adapt to daily stressors mentally, emotionally, and physically in our environment).

How would a sensory diet look like in the summer? My son’s looks something like this:

Morning:

• Wake up and open blinds to let the sun in
• Complete some movement activities
• Drink water
• Some sort of outing that requires movement and thought (run errands with mom, trip to a playground/gym, or play outside). Bring fluids if it’ll be a scorcher.

Afternoon:

• Downtime (preferred activities)
• Do some summer worksheets and complete daily lessons (Khan Academy Kids) on his tablet. A light snack may help to stay focused.
• Do some chores (mostly heavy work like bringing laundry up the stairs or vacuuming) to organize his system
• If there’s a thunderstorm or if it’s too hot to be outside, put on YouTube movement break videos to get excess energy out.

Evening:

• Limited screentime (TV with the family only)
• Use of heavy blanket to calm
• Stretches/reading
• Blinds closed to limit what’s left of sunlight. Night light and fan (for temp regulation) on for bed

My kid seeks movement and heavy work to expend his energy and likes to be given goal-oriented tasks, hence the chores and running errands. It’s important to point out that every child is different with their own set of sensory needs and preferences. Although this outline works for him, your child might need other things to regulate (touch, smell, taste, proprioception, etc.)

Hit that Reset

Aside from a sensory diet, here are other ways to help your child get back on track before the school year kicks off:

• Restart sleep/wake cycles. About two weeks prior, set bedtimes and alarms for when they would be during the school year. Also, ensure that your child’s wake up time allows them to get up, brush teeth, get dressed, and eat breakfast without rushing out the door. This can be a gradual transition if needed. Some content creators cut back 10 or 15 minutes each night to work their bedtimes back down.
  
  
• Make mealtimes consistent. Lax mealtimes can happen in the summer, so can constantly grazing on snacks (#girldinner). Get them back on a regular eating schedule before heading back to school. That might mean cutting back on the snacks throughout the day or adjusting their current mealtimes to accommodate when they’ll be eating at school.
  
  
• Reduce screen time before bed. Blue light from screens can make it difficult for your kids to fall asleep and get a good night’s rest.
  
  
• Simulate school. Give them structured tasks (like worksheets, puzzles, arts/crafts activities) to help them focus and build their mental endurance before school starts.
  
  
• One step at a time. Throwing their entire school routine at them all at once may be too much for your kid to process. Work on one change at a time. When they adjusted to that change, add in another one and so on.
  
  
• Keep what’s fun. Summer gives way to trying new things while on vacation or at camp. If your child enjoyed a certain activity in the summer, continue it into the school year if they’d like. You can also take them school shopping or go over lunch menus to get them excited about the new.
  
  
• Create a safe space. With school drawing near, your child may have a lot of emotions and thoughts running through them. Let them know that you’re around to discuss any fears or worries that they may have and to help them problem solve or make a plan for any of these situations.

We hoped you liked our annual #throwbackmonth posts. It was a fun project re-reading and re-visiting our most-viewed posts over the last three years. Next week, it’s officially August and we’re diving even more into Back-to-School.

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