🧠 5 Ways To Minimize The Impact of Summer Break on Kids

Hey, what’s up? It’s me, Seth Perler, and we’ve got a great question from Kimberly.

Kimberly asks: “How can we minimize the impact of no school and changed routines so that the transition back to school is smoother? And do you think phone use negatively impacts executive function skills?”

Those are two very different questions, so I’m mainly going to focus on the first one. I have five ways you can help minimize the impact of summer break and make the transition back to school smoother.

Transitions are a big deal when it comes to executive function. Kids—and adults—with executive function challenges often struggle with transitions.

The prefrontal cortex, the front third of the brain, helps us transition from task to task. For example, getting out the door, getting into the car, and going somewhere—that’s a transition. Going back to school after summer is a much larger transition.

These are skills. Transitioning smoothly is something we build over time.

So if a child has executive function challenges, this can be particularly difficult. Here are five ways to help.

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Way #1: Keep practicing executive function skills during the summer.

When summer starts, everything often becomes completely unstructured—which can be great and much needed for a while. But there needs to be a balance between freedom and structure.

Great teachers are excellent at finding this balance. You can even look to teachers as inspiration for how they do it.

Kids need freedom, but they also need structure—and that structure should be clear and predictable.

When executive function skills are practiced intentionally during the summer, the brain continues to develop. The prefrontal cortex is developing all the way into the mid-to-late twenties, so summer is still a valuable time for growth.

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Way #2: Use visual routines, calendars, and schedules.

Visual, visual, visual.

Even in the summer, keep routines in place—bedtime routines, morning routines, cleanup routines.

If routines aren’t yet solid, make them visual. This could be a short list, pictures, or anything age-appropriate.

Use visual calendars and schedules. Post them where your child can see them.

The goal is for your child to practice checking the schedule—not relying on you to remind them. Instead of repeating yourself, you can simply say, “Check the calendar.”

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Way #3: Build buy-in and ownership.

The more ownership your child has, the better.

For example, if they ask, “When is my camp?” you can say, “It’s on the calendar—go check.” Not in a condescending way, just as a matter of fact.

The goal is for them to depend on the system, not on you.

Another way to build ownership is through your language. Try saying:

* “Wow, that sounds really hard. How are you going to solve that problem?”
* “How can I help?”

Instead of giving answers, you’re helping them think.

You can also build ownership through things like school shopping. Don’t do everything for them. Let them take the lead where appropriate—maybe even give them a budget, depending on their age.

Another example is creating what I call a “sacred study space.” Let them design and set it up. This builds ownership and engagement.

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Way #4: Do calendaring together.

Make calendaring part of your routine.

Ideally, do it daily—but at minimum, do it weekly. Sit down together (even as a family, if possible) and plan the week.

This helps kids see how planning works in real life. Over the course of the summer, this repeated practice can make a huge difference.

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Way #5: Start preparing for the fall early.

Don’t wait until the week before school starts.

Begin preparing several weeks in advance. Break it into small chunks and schedule those tasks.

Put everything on the calendar: school supply shopping, setting up the study space, emailing teachers, reviewing syllabi, and planning the year.

Have conversations—heart-to-heart talks. While those don’t directly build skills, they are still very important.

The key is to prepare early and gradually, so your child can anticipate what’s coming.

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So those are five ways to minimize the impact of summer and make the transition back to school smoother.

Now, briefly on the second question: do I think phone use negatively impacts executive function skills?

Short answer: yes—and also yes in a positive way.

Using a phone does require executive function skills. Kids are actually practicing those skills when they use devices.

But the issue is that phones are extremely attention-demanding. They are designed to capture and hold attention.

Attention is a core part of executive function. When that attention is constantly pulled into a device—and away from other important areas of life—that’s where it becomes a concern.

In my opinion, the negative impact tends to outweigh the positive.

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That’s all I’ve got for you.

My name is Seth Perler. I’m an executive function coach, and I work in the EF, ADHD, 2e, and neurodiversity spaces.

I host The Executive Function Online Summit for compassionate and proactive parents, teachers, and therapists. We typically have thousands of people from dozens of countries attending.

You can check it out at executivefunctionsummit.com, or find me at sethperler.com.

If you found this helpful, please like the video—that helps the algorithm—and leave a comment.

What do you do to minimize the impact of summer and make the transition back to school smoother? Or what are your thoughts on phone use?

I’d love to hear from you.

Have a fantastic day. I wish you peace in your heart, joy in your life, and connection with the people you care about—especially the kids in your life.