Summer slide (noun): The loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of summer vacation

Photo by bcrumpler via Flicker

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

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