Family Time During The Summer

Posted: July 10, 2023

By: Alexia Cabreras, MS, Life Coach Supervised by Melissa Barton, MA, LPC-S Family time is an essential component of our summer breaks. Like many households, kids are home and ready to have a good time. But what many fail to realize is this is a difficult time for many families! Unfortunately for us, adulting means not getting an extended summer break anymore, soooo when people say adulting sucks sometimes, that may or may not be true! Now, we know having kids at home adds an extra layer of stress to parents. The need to tend to children can increase anxiety levels at home regarding ensuring kids are being kept busy, having ongoing sources of entertainment, and simply being taken care of through appropriate childcare. While trying to figure out what to do for an extended period, parents and families must continue to work and manage daily tasks outside their children's needs.

Why Is Family Time Important?

Family time is very important! Not only for kids at home but even for hard-working parents who deserve time off from their other responsibilities. Overall, it is statistically proven that having family time tends to increase happiness and satisfaction between parents and their children. On top of that, bonds are created amongst family members by sharing memories and discussions associated with their time together. Though it may not be obvious, children and their families work together to enhance their interpersonal skills through socialization with one another; sometimes, families lack socialization with each other during the school year because of the other day-to-day demands from school to work.

Why Is It Extra Important During The Summer?

As mentioned, there's a lot that must be managed during the school year, from long days of school to homework in the afternoon, extracurricular activities, dinners, and baths at the end of the day; there tends to not be much time for bonding. Kids go through long days just like parents do; sometimes, everyone wants to wrap their day up and go to bed, and that's completely understandable. But the thing about summer is kids don't have rigorous schedules. They have free time and multiple opportunities to engage in family activities with the adults in their households.

Free Family Activities

Finding things doesn't always have to come with a cost; many free activities can be done to enhance family time at home and outside of the home during the summer. Here are a few activities that don't cost time but create priceless memories:

Going to the park
Watching a movie
Camping outside your backyard
Create a scavenger hunt
Have a board game marathon
Have a picnic
Bike ride
And if you live in Houston, check out the Museums that are FREE on Thursdays!

The fun is never ending when you prioritize quality time above everything else; though having the time can be the most complicated part, making the time goes a long way.

Begin Family Therapy in Katy, TX!

If you are ready to begin family therapy, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide mental health counseling, as well as other mental health services. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:

Contact our office to set up an appointment or to learn more information
Meet with one of our knowledgeable therapists
Find ways to thrive through therapy today!

Other Therapy Services We Offer:

Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men's issues, women's issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!