Creating Memories for Life This Summer

Posted by Susan Epstein on July 6th, 2010 at 10:10am

Summer is a great time to put into place family rituals, things that you do over and over again every summer. It could be that you eat outdoors or that you take a walk together after dinner. It might be that you go camping or take some type of family vacation together or visit relatives. It doesn’t matter what you do or if it costs $ or is free…what matters most is the TIME together. This is fairly easy to make happen with some children but how do you entice children with special needs and tweens and teens to participate in family time?

During your family meeting brain storm things that they want to do (it is important that you have buy in from them…believe me….it will be much more pleasant)
Be conscious of your child’s developmental stage. For kids with short attention spans change up the activities frequently (every 40 minutes or so) so they don’t start acting up. Better to end the activity while it is still fun rather than running it into the ground..(a real recipe for a meltdown)
Correct- don’t punish…kids will act out…expect it and be proactive.
Take pictures
Do the same activity again next summer and ever summer thereafter.

Leave a comment on what you are planning with your family this summer!