WRITE IT DOWN
Have your kids keep a journal about all of
the fun things they do this summer. Ask
them to write about what they learned
and observed. By the time they return to
school, they’ll have wonderful memories
and improved writing skills.

However, if you feel your child is
falling behind in a certain subject,
consider hiring a tutor to help them
brush up on those skills. If they’re
struggling across the board, a brain
training program like LearningRx
may help them strengthen learning
skills, such as memory, attention,
and reasoning. Just remember
not to compare your kids with
other students.

“Because of COVID, students across
the world are in a similar boat in terms
of their educational experience this
past year,” says Moore. “So the question
should not be how your child is doing
compared to their peers, but how they
are doing now compared to before
the pandemic.”
Come fall, teachers will be ready to
help every child bounce back from a
challenging school year. n
Strengthen Social-Emotional Learning
When we hear the term “summer slide,” we tend to think of academic learning. But one of the biggest
things students missed out on this past year was social-emotional learning. Working alone behind a
screen, children were not able to learn and practice managing their emotions, empathizing with others,
resolving conflicts, communicating and building relationships. But there are some things you can do to
help your kids develop those skills this summer.

DISCUSS FEELINGS
Share your emotions by saying things like, “I’m so excited about our trip!” or “I’m frustrated that
I spilled the milk.” Validate your child’s feelings by pointing out when they’re angry or upset and
inviting them to talk about it.

HELP OTHERS
Volunteering in the community is a great way to build empathy and civic engagement. But even informal
acts of kindness will do the trick. Encourage them to help a neighbor carry their groceries inside. Leave a
treat on a friend’s doorstep just to be nice. And talk about how good it feels to be kind and helpful.

SOCIALIZE This summer is a great time for kids to rebuild relationships with friends, so plan play dates
whenever you can. Local playgrounds, community pools and camps are also great places for kids to
make new friends.

ROLE PLAY
When playing with your children, act out various scenarios and ask them to think about how they
might feel in that situation. This also works great when watching movies or reading books together.

Say things like, “That boy must have felt so worried when he lost his dog,” or “That girl seemed so
proud when she won the spelling bee.”
And remember, your children are always watching you. Seeing you maintain healthy relationships with
family members and friends will teach them to be good friends and citizens themselves.

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18 Washington FAMILY JULY 2021
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For more than 25 years, Washington FAMILY has been
running our annual Best for FAMILIES survey. Each year,
we ask our readers to vote for their favorite people, places
and things to do in the DMV. And now, after tallying the
votes, this year’s survey results are here!
From the best childcare center to the best place for
a birthday party, read on to discover all of your
FAMILY favorites in the D.C. area.

WE ASKED ,
YOU VOTED!
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