Child-Motivated Summer Slide Prevention

This simple Summer Slide prevention plan was just what our family needed. I found the balanced, no-nag, keep the mind and body active solution that I was seeking. Best of all, the kids loved it.

I was contemplating the highs and lows of my own life, when I stumbled upon a trend. During times when I felt I was progressing (either as a mother, an individual, in my work, or another area), I felt upbeat and optimistic. However, during stages of life when I felt stuck either as an individual or as a family, my outlook on life was not as positive. The simple truth sank in that progress is joyful.

As I pondered how to teach my own children the joy of progress and the skills needed to make self-motivated improvement in life, an idea was born. The thought was simple, but applied to our kids for the summer, I knew it could have a great impact.

Summer Slide Prevention

Summer Slide (referring to the academic losses in the summer months) prevention is important to me. I have studied and seen the negative effects of a summer void of learning and want to prevent that for my kids and help other families do the same.

In the past, we had used a great system that we called Daily 7 to keep the kids active and learning throughout the summer months. Although the kids absolutely loved Daily 7, I knew we would be traveling a lot this past summer. Therefore, I wanted something a little more flexible. I also wanted to incorporate what I had realized about self-motivated progress. My aim for this particular summer was to find a way that the kids could be involved in things they felt passionate and excited about.

So our new Summer Slide prevention was born. I called it S.M.I.L.E. Self-Motivated Improvement for Long-term Enjoyment.

Getting Ready for the Summer

About a week or two before school finished, I encouraged the kids to start brainstorming some goals they may want to set for the summer. We talked about different kinds of goals including physical, academic, and spiritual. We shared ideas for each type. Our discussions included characteristics of meaningful goals. These goals would stretch us. We talked about how that stretch and growth is joyful in life.

After school ended, we made a special trip to the dollar store where we each picked a small, colorful notebook: our S.M.I.L.E. journals. We recorded our goals in these notebooks, including at least one of each type. I participated right alongside the kids. Setting goals is nothing new. However, by giving the “program” a name, a new notebook, and focused attention, it felt special and exciting for the kids. And me!

Progress through Goals

It was so fun for me to see what the kids were really excited to work on. Here are some of the goals they chose.

Physical

Learn how to do the monkey bars
Run at least nine miles
Participate in at least three of the local races (free race series here)
Be able to do wall-sits for two minutes

Academic

Learn how to read
Complete math workbooks
Read at least three books that aren’t Harry Potter 😉
Complete the Summer Reading program at the library

Spiritual

Say a personal prayer every morning and night
Read on own from scriptures everyday
Do a service for someone everyday
Be on time to church each week

Other ideas for goals include completing a project about a topic of interest, doing yoga or other exercise for a set number of minutes or sessions per week, teaching someone else a new skill, learning about grandparents and writing about their lives, or making a piece of art that shows something you believe. The options are endless!

I didn’t say no to any goals the kids suggested. If I thought they could complete the goal too easily, we discussed that and they chose other goals to include as well.

S.M.I.L.E. in Action

We made good use of our S.M.I.L.E. notebooks. Throughout the summer, we wrote updates on the progress of our goals, kept checklists when appropriate, and wrote about our general summer activities. It was a very natural way to keep the kids writing during the months off of school.

Some days during the summer, I would say, “Ok, we’re going to have some S.M.I.L.E. time now.” The kids would each work on something, or I would help one of them if needed. Often, they would work on their goals without me mentioning it. Even on vacation, the goals were not forgotten. One morning at a family reunion, I came back from an early morning run with some cousins to find one of my children running with my mom…they were excited to be able to get some of their goal miles in too!

S.M.I.L.E. wasn’t the only thing we did over the summer. The kids practiced the piano, we worked together, and read together. We learned about travel destinations and other interesting topics.

However, S.M.I.L.E. was a big part of what helped the summer feel successful for me. The kids were super excited when they accomplished each of their goals. I didn’t need to nag to keep them busy or off screens because they were motivated and excited about their own goal choices. The plan was flexible enough to fit our schedule and wide range in ages. It kept all of our minds and bodies active. It was a simple, no hassle solution to the Summer Slide for our family. Most importantly for me, it helped the kids feel joy in self-motivated improvement.

For other summer ideas, check out Beating the Summer Slide with Daily 7 or 14 Tips to Get Your Kids Reading More This Summer.

How does your family prevent the Summer Slide? What success have you had in helping your kids set meaningful goals? Share in the comments!