Parenting Pointers: Summer Springboard Tips for Kids

Summer can be incredibly daunting for any parent, even more so if the child has behavioral, social, or learning difficulties. Did you know that often, in these cases, the child may have left- or right-brain weakness—leading to outbursts, tantrums, or full on melt-downs?

But according to the education advocates at Brain Balance Achievement Centers [www.brainbalancecenters.com]—an innovative, drug-free, holistic, non-medical approach to addressing the challenges of behavioral, social, or learning disabilities—there are 5 simple things parents can do to help with left- or right-brain weakness and make this this summer a springboard for achievement.

*** BRAIN BALANCE’S 5 SUMMER SPRINGBOARD TIPS ***

> TIP 1: GET YOUR CHILD MOVING

Activities that involve active physical motion help children to read with greater comprehension and retain more information. Enjoy the summer sun by taking your child on an outdoor gallery walk, or take the fun indoors to an exploration-style, hands-on museum.

> TIP 2: COME UP WITH A DAILY SCHEDULE WITH YOUR CHILD

Routines keep children grounded—and they are especially necessary during breaks, when the regular school schedule goes out the window. Let your child have input into their schedule—it will give them agency and make them feel empowered.

 > TIP 3: SPEND TIME IN THE KITCHEN TOGETHER

Let your child do simple activities like measuring ingredients, dividing up portions, and reading recipes. This reinforces their reading and math skills without making them feel intimidated. Plus, it helps you with dinner!

> TIP 4: HAVE YOUR CHILD START JOURNALING

Have your child write about their feelings or thoughts during the summer break. This is a fun way to boost their writing skills and show them that writing can be a meaningful outlet. And, of course, it will show in their assignments when the school year starts back up.

> TIP 5: LET YOUR CHILD GET HIS/HER HANDS DIRTY

Stimulate your child’s tactile and visual senses by letting them play with toys like sidewalk chalk and finger paints. These activities are sensory and help your child develop fine motor skills. They’re also plain old fun.

To understand left- and right-brain weakness in children you may know, check out this simple online assessment:

https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/our-program/childs-personalized-plan/online-assessment/. After years of helping children with behavioral and social challenges, the experts at Brain Balance have developed a cutting-edge (and drug-free) program combining sensory motor stimulation, academic stimulation, and nutrition to correct brain imbalance and improve achievement.