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Make sure summer vacation includes structure to increase fun and reduce stress and boredom.

Structure gives summer days rhythm and certainty that helps children thrive and manage anxiety.

Sleeping and eating around the same time each day creates dependability that is good for our bodies.

Let me begin by stating a fact: I am a big proponent of letting kids play freely on the weekend and over breaks. That said, there seems to be a glorified image of a totally free summer in which kids can do whatever they want from wake-up until bedtime. The reality is more grim than the dream.

The reality is that the relaxing feeling of having nothing to do and no pressure quickly turns into boredom for kids and teens. Why is that? Because we humans actually thrive with some structure. I am not talking about a dawn til dusk treadmill of camps, practices, classes, etc. I’m talking about some plan for our days in which we have things that we can depend on.

Structure helps to regulate our daily rhythms, like sleeping and eating. When we sleep at around the same time each day, we sleep better and typically have less trouble falling asleep. When we eat at around the same time, we feel hungry for meals and eat a healthy amount. We may not notice it, but it can stress our nervous systems when eating and sleeping are unpredictable. It’s not just eating and sleeping; overall, kids are less stressed and happier when their lives are somewhat predictable. And research shows that kids engage in more unhealthy behaviors when their time is unstructured than when it is........

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