Being there for your kids - Planning Summer Fun in Critical Times

Episode Date: May 15, 2022

Summer is almost here. Kids almost out of school. What to do? What to do? A mom shares her frustrations and worries about planning amidst pandemic and world crises. Active listening is the tool to use to help calm your kids down. After you have their attention, use brainstorming techniques to open up a family planning meeting. Any and all options are on the table, within family time and money constraints. As an extra, I've included my own family meeting activities list to activate the brain cells. Blessings, Jon

Hi, I'm Dr. John Robinson, and this is Teachable Moments. I have a letter and some brainstorming for you today. Here's the letter. Dear Dr. Robinson, oh, how I love summertime with our kids, ages 6, 10, and 12. They are each so unique and full of energy. Summer camps, playing outside with their friends, family day trips, and vacation, all in a glorious mix of fun and activity. The current coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and all the attending devices, has turned all of our world upside down. When sheltering in place orders were in effect, we were all on lockdown for months. Now we have Ukrainian refugees and potential World War III to worry about. The novelty wore off the first couple of days. How do I, we, get through the coming summertime with potential calamity, social distancing, and limited activity? How do I address our kids' stress

frustration and disappointment, signed out of loss. Dear At, welcome to the current new normal, and yet it's not at all comforting that we are all in this together. So now is the time to unpack your convection that we have no control over our circumstances. We do, however, have full control over our response and reaction to those circumstances. First, active listen to your kids' feelings. Help them know that you appreciate how the current times are in. impacting them. Acknowledging their fears, frustration, and disappointment will in and of itself lower their stress levels. Once they've gotten it all out, call a family meeting to brainstorm a list

of things over which they have control and ideas of things you all can do individually and as a family. Focus on learning, exploring, and having fun despite the circumstances. To make it engaging in fun, think outside the box. Remember, you folks have control over time, and expense variables as you jointly pick from the list. Also, while you may have work to do from home, make time for that, but not at the expense of being with your kids. Remind your kids to limit their individual gaming and social media time and make time for you as well. Remember, we are constantly reminded we are all in this together and we will get through it. I'm with you. Blessings, Dr. John. Now, in taking my own advice, here's a list of fun, different family activities that my family put together as an example.

Number one, take a night to set up and go camping in your backyard. Include all the fixings like a campfire, smores, and ghost stories. Number two, have tournaments on your internet sporting and other gaming options. Number three, create a messy space where you can slather in grease paint, make murals, do face and body painting. number four bake cookies number five plan meals number six facetime friends and family number seven find an internet pen pal from the ukraine number eight confer with your local ukrainian consulate about sponsoring refugees number nine use zoom or other collective media to group without grouping number ten set up family exercising together number eleven set up a scavenger hunt for you in your home or yard and number 12, email or snail mail notes to friends and extended family, letting them know you are thinking about them. Of course, all activities are subject to local ordinances.

Don't feel you have to fill up all the time. Create things to look forward to each day. I hope this example list is helpful. I'm Dr. Jonathan C. Robinson, licensed clinical psychologist and Christian author of Teachable Moments, building blocks of Christian parenting, and this has been Teachable Moments.