The Summer Slide

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 Our Sponsors: * Check out Armoire: armoire.style/ONBOYS * Check out ByHeart and use my code ONBOYS for a great deal: byheart.com * Check out Lumen: lumen.me/ONBOYS Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy