“Should my child have routines this summer?”

Yep. Here’s the deal: If you’re reading my blog, your child struggles to navigate school. His or her executive function has not yet developed the skills necessary to manage the overwhelming number of tasks that schools require in order to be “successful” academically. So keeping them in practice with routines will help in the long run. In other words, your child struggles with things like managing homework, details, planning, time management, priorities, procrastination, organization, etc.. In a nutshell, they struggle with systems. So yes, you should use systems this summer as much as is realistic. Routines are systems. You should do anything you can think of to help them continue to develop systems and routines. Discuss routines throughout the summer so your child gets to practice using “system words”. This will help prime the brain for the fall. You may be thinking, “Sure, but my kid needs summer. They need a break from routines.” You’re absolutely right! They do, and you might as well. So don’t worry about being rigid or perfect. Even if your child does not follow routines strictly, the fact that they are posted (which makes them concrete) and the fact that they sometimes do them is good. It counts and it will make a difference. Just systematize the things that make sense, like chores at predictable times, posting camp schedules, bedtime routine, etc.. Again, just do your best to discuss and use routines as much as is realistically possible. It’ll pay off in the fall. Best, Seth