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Summer slide (noun): The loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of summer vacation
Parents (& educators) have long worried about the things kids “forget” over the summer. This year, on the tail of a pandemic-interrupted school year that launched valiant attempts at unplanned remote learning, parents (& educators) are more concerned than ever before. According to a recent New York Times article, 3/4 of parents of children under 12 and 64% of parents of teens feel that it’s more important to do parent-led educational activities with their children this summer than in previous summers.
Just 17% of surveyed parents said they do not feel this pressure.
We’re here to tell you that you can take a break. There are a lot of ways to combat summer slide and help boys learn — and none of them have to be painful.
“Relax!” Janet says. “Lower your expectations, give yourself some grace, play and get outside.”
In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:
- The truth about summer slide (Spoiler: summer learning losses aren’t as large as many people think)
- Why you should focus on your son’s mental health instead of academic achievement
- Decreasing screen-dependency
- Nature deficit disorder
- How to get your boy OUTSIDE
- Natural learning
- How to keep kids busy in the summer
- Teaching boys to play independently
- Helping kids self-entertain
- Encouraging self-relianceCommon Sense Skills camp
- How to reinforce math & reading skills
Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:
“Nature Deficit Disorder” is Really a Thing — NYT article discussed at 8:05
School’s Out. Parental Burnout Isn’t Going Away — NYT article mentioned at 11:04
Pandemic Parenting Was Already Relentless. Then Came Summer — NYT article
How to Prevent Your Kids From Losing What They Learned in School During Summer Vacation — Scholastic article
We’re Running a Common Sense Camp for Our Kids This Summer — article mentioned at about 19:00
Dad, How Do I? — YouTube channel mentioned at 22:35
Summer Survive & Thrive Tips — ON BOYS episode
Garth Brooks: The Road I’m On — documentary mentioned at 24:30