My wife and I had another discussion last night regarding how we plan our children's summer schedule. What prompted this discussion (yes, this is a code word for what every married couple on the planet knows is an argument) was how children (not just ours) act during this time of year.My wife (who should have been a beatnick) feels like summer is the time to let kids be kids before the responsibilities of adulthood conform them to faceless numbers like it does everyone else. I agree with part of that argument (the letting them have more fun part) but I feel there are several problems with totally embracing that view.
One is that discipline is not something most kids (or adults) can turn on and off. I can see the wisdom of the year-round school argument verified just by viewing the time it takes most kids to get back on a normal schedule. But the main reason for this blog entry is because I believe that unless children are actively involved in the family responsibilities (baby sitting, cleaning, household chores, etc.) than what we are teaching them is that they live in a hotel with free food and laundry. When you allow them to set their own schedules for three months and then suddenly ask them to switch gears when school starts who are we kidding?
What happens when you ask a guest at a hotel who has been receiving all of the freebies and setting his/her own schedule to complete a chore or possibly even mow a yard. Resistance. Why? Because the child is ungrateful for the things he/she has been given and that is our fault. When they are constantly asking for money to go or do and that request is never accompanied with the words "I'll be glad to work that off" or even "Thank You" than we are doing a poor job. When you spend the entire month of September trying to enforce discipline that was just there three months ago that seems like a waste of time and effort. Yes, let them have some fun. But let's not have a total overhaul of all of the values that you are trying to teach during the school year.
You will most likely end up with a child that doesn't study, won't complete their homework assignments (may not even be able to spell homework . . . ), will have trouble with his/her energy and sleeping because of the massive schedule difference, and overall will be a major project for the first four to five weeks of school. The parents don't win (can you sleep in the same house with kids that are awake until 3 o'clock in the morning?), the children don't win (they end up getting grounded for their smart mouths because of their lack of sleep), the teachers who are about to start the thankless task of educating our children don't win (because they are trying to cram 9 months of school into 7 months - let's not forget what happens in May), and society doesn't win. Lower test scores, less educated children, less concerned future citizens. Let's resolve to approach next summer with a different perspective and see if our kids will be better prepared for not only the school year but for life that is right around the corner.
