Well, as you are probably well aware, today is the Summer Solstice, and the reason I decided to delay our monthly newsletter until today.  By now, all of your children should be out of school and you are probably wondering what in the world you are going to do with them all summer.

Some kids end up in summer school, whether for poor performance during the regular year, or simply because you want your child to have a leg up come next fall.  Actually, I think all children should be required to attend school during the summer months simply so they can retain everything that was put into their little heads the whole school year prior.  Studies have shown that a three month break from anything will set you back nearly an entire year behind those who have stayed current with their studies and practices.  Chew on that for a little bit.

However, I digress.  What I want to ask you about today is, will you be proactive in making sure your child stays active this summer?  The biggest problem we have in America is the inability to keep our bodies and mind occupied at all times so that they don’t atrophy, or worse, grow too large to handle (bodies of course).  You see, the biggest problem with having as much free time as our children have during the summer months is that they are not used to having so much of it!

I know that sounds like common sense, and it is for the most part, but think about it.  If you were given eight hours a day to get your work done, which a lot of people are, then don’t you tend to take the entire eight hours to complete your tasks?  Very rarely will you  be done by noon, leave, and still get paid for the entire eight hours, right?  Well, that there is the reason why we expand our efforts to match our time commitments, so-to-speak.

The same is true in reverse.  If you are given only four hours to complete your tasks, do you think you could do it?  Not at first, perhaps, because you are not used to the schedule and how ‘hectic’ things can be.  However, after a little bit of time, you would be  just as, if not more, proficient than you were in the eight hour example.  Again, we match our duties to our allotted times available.

This is why summer vacations can be so extravagant, or so detrimental to our youth.  For one, they are used to staying in school, generally seated and learning, for about 7-8 hours per day.  Now, you take the learning away from them, and what is left?  Sitting and _____________ for 7-8 hours per day.  Well, what that blank is filled with is entirely up to you!

If you, as the parent or guardian, fail to allot tasks, assignments, duties, responsibilities, and activities to fill up that time block, guess what will?  Generally it will be video games, computer games, internet surfing, the boob tube, and a general lack of active movements.  Even kids who play sports aren’t engaged all day every day as they are in school.  This also means they will be at your house, prone to the ‘fridge stare’ as I call it: standing in front of the refrigerator, door open, staring into the white space wondering what to consume next.  We all do it, but the kids aren’t aware that what they are doing is so bad for them.

So, I would like to wrap this up by sending you the message that now is the time to get some last minute plans together for your child’s summer activities.  I say last minute because a lot of the activities you could have planned weeks and months ago.  Remember that failing to plan is the same as planning to fail.  Don’t fail your children and hinder their health and learning ability by not planning something for them. You know they won’t do it for themselves!

Certain activities can include:
Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, Campfire, Brownies, etc.
Wilderness trips
Learning a new outdoor sport (kayak, rafting, rock climbing, hiking, etc.)
Summer Camps
Sports Camps
Camping (yes, you go outdoors, enjoy nature, and teach your kid how to start a fire, fish, gather wood, etc.)
Trips to the beach for those fortunate enough to live within driving distance
Trips to the lake/river for everyone else
Sports leagues (baseball, tee-ball, soccer, football, swim team, track, etc.)
Go to the local pool and park and organize some fun games
Just get outside and do something active!

Truly yours,
Jeff Barnes
www.stop-childhood-obesity.com
www.mrjeffbarnes.com