Some summer reflections for parents

As we get settled into the summer, for parents, it is an excellent time to reflect on how the past year went. By engaging in intentional reflection, we can uncover what areas our children struggled with and what we, as parents can change to help them overcome those challenges for the next academic year.

Build relationship: A good beginning point is to reflect on the relationship we share with our children. A family is a child's second womb and sharing solid and secure relationships with parents helps children thrive in all areas of their lives, including academics. Summer offers closeness and the opportunity to build that bond again; it is worth considering what strategies can strengthen it.

Be resilient: It is sometimes hard as parents to constantly make those small parenting decisions that make or break our children's world. When things slowdown in summer, it gives us time to reflect on our decisions. Something as small as allowing children to sleep an extra hour or have more screen time affects their performance at school. Resilience for parents looks like rethinking and adjusting those decisions to suit what is best for our children.

Unpack success: Summer is an excellent time to analyse our children's success and to know their strengths so we can build more of it the following year. These areas of strength may look like having a great year at sports in school or connecting more socially. Unpacking success helps to see which area our children did well in and how we can facilitate that next year.

Provide support: Summer is also the time to examine areas our children struggle academically. If a child's achievement level is lower than expected, summer is an excellent time to reflect on why they are not keeping up and help them fill those learning gaps.

Providing children with the proper support during summer is essential to their learning and for a successful next academic year. Summer should be seen as an opportunity for catching up and focusing on strengthening academic skills.

Create new structures: Summer can be a good time of change for children. Summer is a small transition, but all transitions offer opportunities to break down familiar structures and create new ones. Helping children to break down old habits and learn new ones is often helpful for a fresh start.

Pump the brakes: Summer learning is vital for children, but it is also essential to pull the brakes. After a tumultuous year at school, we must give children and ourselves permission to rejuvenate in summer. Holidays should be relaxing and fun, and taking some time off is essential for children's mental wellbeing.

Give the real gift: When we as parents brave the holiday season, it can quickly get overwhelming. However, we must remember that the true gift of parenting is what we give our children repeatedly, a hundred times each day, without realising it. It is a hug, a smile, a touch, a scolding, a sandwich, a story read, a bed tucked in, or a goodnight kiss. We offer our lap when our back hurts, and we offer our heart when it feels empty.

So many things, so rapidly readily given that we hardly notice them — but they are the fabric of family, new threads added many times each hour.

As we plunge into this time of giving more — it is a lovely, self-nurturing thing to reflect a bit on what may be, for each of us, the sacred essence of parenting.