Surviving Summer
By Liz Holloway, M.A., LCMHCA
As the song says, “roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer”. The days of unbearable heat, cicada songs, and sunsets after 8PM are finally amongst us. As an adolescent, I remember these days were filled with excitement as vacation and sleeping-in awaits. As I was soaking in my days at the pool with friends, my parents were filled with dread as they saw increased sugar intake, late nights, and no schedule. Before they knew it, it was time again to wake my untrained body for the bus at 6AM. As every summer ended, this routine continued with months of difficult mornings as we begin another school year.
Although a time of rest, relaxation, and recovery from a year of school, summer time can also be a season of stress for school-aged children and their families. With the lack of structure and routine, some children may experience an increase in symptoms related to anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health diagnoses. With children and adolescents, anxiety can be increased greatly when they are experiencing a change in routine, are heading into unknown circumstances, or do not have the same routine daily. Because anxiety is related to control, the lack of control and structure during the time off of school can be intimidating for a child. In addition, this lack of routine often makes the transition back to school more difficult for all involved.
In order to decrease anxiety your children may experience during summertime, it is recommended to attempt to keep their time as structured as possible. I am a firm believer that this time off from school is meant to have fun, relax, and regulate from the demands of the rest of the year; however maintaining routine and structure does not need to be militant. Routine during the summertime can look like implementing a later bedtime, ensuring meals are presented around the same time as often as possible, creating structured activities and play, and signing children up for camps, vacation bible schools, or other activities. Ensuring your children have a sleep schedule can reduce issue when returning back to early days at school as well as maintaining healthy sleep habits. Signing up for activities with other children will continue strengthening their social skills and introduce them to new people and places, a good exposure therapy for children with anxieties. An additional stressor in the summertime is that children and teens feel isolated without seeing their peers as much; it is important to ensure your children interact with other kids during the summer.
Summer does not need to be a time where all of your children’s routines and habits cease to exist. You do not have to wait for unorganized, chaotic, energy for the first day of school. Implementing healthy social, sleep, and scheduling patterns will help your family enjoy the most of this sweaty season. It may be difficult to maintain these patterns every day, especially if you’re traveling out of town, but finding ways to implement any routine during the summer can decrease your children’s mental health symptoms and prepare them for returning to school for another great academic year!
