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Director's Notes
Well, summer is slowly making its way back onto the calendar. There was a song many years ago that described them as the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer". I'm not sure all of those really apply, but life certainly takes on a different pace for some. Kids are out of school so those hectic mornings with everyone trying to find clothes and school bags, make lunches and get to the bus on time are, hopefully, on hold for a month or so. During the summer, parents usually have to continue to work but also have to find ways to keep kids entertained and safe. That can be a challenge but we wanted to share some things to address early on, as well as suggestions for ways to keep kids active AND safe. If you have items around your home that could be used as inhalants, make sure they are placed in a secure place. These are usually the first experience kids have with abusing products as they are literally under the kitchen (and bathroom) sink. Even seemingly responsible kids can make poor decisions when bored or upset, so take the steps to remove or store these dangerous products BEFORE an incident occurs. Other items around your home to keep secured and monitored are weapons, alcohol, and prescription and over the counter drugs. Items like this seem to have an allure for young people, and the danger of serious injury or death from an accidental shooting or ingesting medications inappropriately is one that should be taken very seriously. Take a close look in every part of your home and don't be afraid to be overly cautious in removing any potential hazards. There are plenty of healthy activities that kids can do, often without cost. The local library immediately comes to mind, as the encouragement to keep reading during the summer will give kids a definite advantage when school starts again. Having them keep a journal of their activities or create a scrapbook can be other activities that will keep their academic skills strengthened, as will reading the newspaper and reporting local events to family members. If your community has recreational opportunities such as swimming pools, recreation centers, programs that build skills in art or theatre, gymnastics, martial arts, summer movies, day camps offered by your church, etc., take advantage of these local offerings as they often have adult supervision and give kids the opportunity to interact with their peers to build social skills. And, hopefully, your entire family will be able to do active things together on the weekends, such as biking, hiking, working in the yard…… Each parent has to match the activity they choose to the age of the child and what their budget will allow, but have your kids research programs that are of interest to them and report the details back for a family discussion. We hope that everyone has a safe and healthy summer.
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