Summer with your Kids

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Today is the last day of school for us. Yay! I love it when my sons are on summer break. With the stress of school removed, they are much happier, easier kids. And they have a lot more energy and curiosity, because they aren't exhausted from long, busy, social-filled days at school. We do all sorts of special projects together, usually tied to their (or my) "special" interests, and go on outings and vacations together that we can carefully plan to support them feeling well and happy (example 2 hours at the zoo on a day when it won't be busy, instead of all day with a crowd). I really look forward to summer every year, and am sad when our vacation ends.

But every year all I seem to hear from other parents is about how they dread summer and can't wait until their kids are back in school. They enrol them in as many camps and programs as possible to get them out of the house, and seem to have a hard time keeping them entertained when they are home. Seems sad, and I am glad I don't feel that way. Several teachers and other people working with our kids have also talked about summer vacation, like it is a hardship for us. As in, how will you cope with these two very challenging children on your own for 2 months? What they don't seem to get, is that with everyone much more relaxed, we do great and have such a good time! Right now we are reading Lord of the Rings, and have a "Hobbit walk" planned, as well as a LotR themed party (just for our own family, no stressful, pesky guests ). We will be making all sorts of elaborate preparations for this party. We are also going to try making some Lego stop motion videos, and will do lots of other art and building projects, and some research projects (one son really wants to learn more about Norse mythology).

I was speaking with a mom of a HFA kid the other day, and she is one of the first people I've talked to who seems to be also really looking forward to the extra time with her son. It made me wonder about how the parents here feel about summer with their kids? Do you look forward to it or count the days until they are back in school? And what special things will you do?

I guess when you're a bit of a kid at heart, it's much more fun to have them around! What great ideas! I wish you were my neighbor. I try to do craft time in the backyard, have tent nights, bug and critter hunts, and we even made up an on-the-ground quidditch type game (Harry Potter). My neighbors send their kids to 'camp' so there are slim pickings for playmates to join us. Heck - it's just fun to get a picnic blanket out and have a dolly picnic and guess the shapes of the clouds. I also enjoy building 'kits' with my more mechanical child (lego type or erector sets) and my other NT child like to play pretend and make up her own games, and just wants to 'play' with friends. On vacation, we hope to take our kids to a place that is dark at night so they can really see the stars for the first time. I LOVE spending time with my HF guy! He is great around me and we communicate well - at school, not so much. All he needs is the right pace and not to much chaos around him, and he shines.

At many 'camps' I don't think they build much "down time" that gives kids a chance to imagine their own ideas for things to do. I'm only sending my kids to a one week day camp that is run by school teachers so they can get some time with lots of kids like at school, but otherwise, I enjoy having my kids at home in the summer!

thanks for the inspiration to do good stuff with my son!

I need to start figuring things out this summer. The kids are cooped up in the house already, it's hit triple digits here this week and so the AC is needed. On top of the weather is an antisocial mom who doesn't like to leave the house to often. Tomorrow I'm taking the kids to the theater for the free movie of the week, but that still leaves 4 other days to fill up.

i can relate im so antisocial. my wife is nt and very social so it helps. i like the OP's statement about the zoo for 2 hours instead of all day and crowded. good ideas there. i like doing the bike ride thing, thats relatively not too social. we watch alot of movies at home but its nice weather so we gotta get out there, i live for summer, (hate cold)

I am one of the antisocial moms. My kids are currently 6 and almost 4. Last summer, I admittedly went a little batty but there was some unplanned stressors that also presented themselves. This summer has been better than last year on several levels:

1. Temperatures are much cooler this year. My son and I are heat sensitive and we have only had a week or so of hot weather.

2. We started summer with a plan this year. After 2 weeks off to putz around, the kids had their first swimming lessons last month. It was a hit! They are looking forward to taking the series of Red Cross swimming courses each summer now. Now that those lessons ended, the kids have a morning session at their daycare/old preschool building. They have themed weeks (space, bugs, 4th of July, the beach, etc.) Both of them are able to keep up with their friends from the school year and have constructive play time.

3. While the kids are gone during the mornings, I can do the usual household tasks that need attention and take care of administrative needs (phone calls, letters, writing, etc.) Since I'm also on the spectrum, this is the valuable down-time I must have to keep sane.

The kids have the afternoons to do whatever they please, so they have their down-time. August will be the true test since there is nothing completely planned, program-wise. There are outings like the Children's Museum and visiting family up north. Every activity is pinged on how well it suits their health needs (allergies and heat sensitivity), so that is always a factor.

We've never had very good time on school holidays but I realised over our summer holidays this year (Dec-Jan here in Australia) that the problem was lack of schedule.

So over our most recent two week break I made a picture schedule for the two weeks of holidays plus first week of school term - so the girls could see normal routine would return.

I planned to do things they both loved - visits to museum and duck pond playground - and it was our best holidays ever, I'm planning to be doing this with our holidays from now on.

Thank you for the great ideas in this thread, I know I will be putting some of them into our next holiday schedule

Antisocial Moms, I hear you! Wish we could form a group-maybe we could be comfortable together knowing we are uncomfortable!
I love summer and any school breaks with the kids.Well I only have 1 in school now, but he's the one who needs the break. We love to go to museums. Sometimes the local library has free or reduced passes to them and zoos.
We went to an amazing sculpture park this week. Lots of grounds to walk, and sculptures to ponder. I'd say "what does it mean?" and he had some interesting theories.
Just playing with clay is a nice way to pass time and be creative.
I look online for free attractions, and some museums have free admission on certain days, certain hours. It's worth it. We went to the MIT museum for free! He's 16, he was LOVING it!
I still get that "back to school anxiety" every year.
This our first year with an IEP *thankful* Hopefully it goes better than last.
Hopefully you all find fun ways to spend your summers. And enjoy your "down time".

We don't get a "real" summer because I work part time, and there are work projects I need to do. I would definitely need a plan if we were going to be home, however - we're just not used to it. I look fondly back on the days when we had a nanny 3 days a week and I could do all my work in those days, planning fun things for each week day I wasn't working. Now the "childcare" is forced into a 9-3, 5 days a week mold, and most places are too crowded to enjoy on weekends, given both my AS husband and AS son hate crowds, so we don't do much.

We are making some plans for the 2 weeks between the last camp and the start of school, however.

And my kids LOVE their summer camps. We learned early on that the less expensive "play" camps just aren't their style, and so we've invested in some really cool experiences over the years. They look forward to picking their camps and attending. They just finished 2 weeks of Shakespeare camp led by professionals from the local company, and performed a wonderful shortened play yesterday. They had a blast.

Next week my AS son is hiking in a new location every day, and canoeing on one day. My daughter is doing an art and science camp.

Later in the summer we spurlged as a birthday gift and my AS son gets to go to iCamp. About twice the price of even the "quality" camps we usually choose, but he really wanted this, and at 12 he really doesn't want any toys, so .... He'll also do a week of Boy Scout camp. That is his only overnight camp.

It was really cool at the Shakespeare camp to see one lower functioning autistic child really come to life on stage. That child was so proud of himself, it was just bursting from him. I know special days at home are priceless, but so are oppportunities to break from the mold and do something inspiring.

I know exactly what you mean. I get so excited for summer because I love not having the stress of school and keeping to other people's schedules. We usually have 2 weeks at home to do what we want, then the kids go to day camp for 2 weeks (which they both LOVE) and then the rest of the summer (6 weeks) is free. I find it breaks it up nicely for all of us.

This year I decided to take them on an 18 hour road trip and we had such a blast. We made incredible memories and they already want to do it again!! !

We try to do one special outting a week on off peak hours and like you, keep it to a minimum so it starts happy and ends happy We do a lot of crafts and just hanging out in the backyard with bubbles, sidewalk chalk, books, puzzles and picnics. I like not having to watch the clock all the time because of someplace we should be every day.

usually in August we rent a cottage near my hometown so we can visit family and spend a few weeks by the lake. It's really really nice to get away from the chaos of the city and the expectations that go with it, and just be on our own and doing our own thing.

Hi,
I'm late to this thread, but with school starting-- I miss summer! I love being home with the kids, and the kids get more relaxed. I'd rather hear DS say "what can I do" twenty times a day, than "I hate school". I admit I played the antisocial dad a bit-- me and the kids in our own bubble, rather than doing playdates and group stuff a lot. But... it works. Very well.
Oh well, time to get ready for the kids getting home.