Strong4Life: Maintain Structure this Summer with Family Contracts

When that school bell rings on the last day, it’s like music to my ears. Our whole family is so ready for a breather from the projects, activities and routines of the last nine+ months of the school year. And yet…

If your kids are like mine, they need a certain amount of structure and productivity in their days. Without it, they tend to run off the rails—sleep schedules come undone, good eating habits fall apart, their intelligence goes slightly dormant, and sibling squabbles generally ensue. So how to you maintain an expectation of performance in the summer?

I have a suggestion: Family Contracts! I know it sounds formal, but setting summer goals that everyone agrees on can alleviate headaches and arguments down the road.

Here’s my plan: We’re going to sit down as a family, identify several things we want to accomplish this summer and figure out how we’re going to make them happen. I want to teach—and show—my boys that when you create clear, practical goals, you’re a step closer to achieving them and can have fun along the way. Use the Strong4Life Healthy Habits as a guide, or come up with goals of your own.

I like family contracts for several reasons:

• When kids (and adults) have input into their goals, they feel more “bought in.”  With a vested interest, they’re more in control and motivated.
• Contracts are great communications tools. They help families clarify priorities, solve problems, negotiate and take action.
• With a written agreement, both parents and kids can refer back to the terms, which reduce confusion and conflict.
• When parents set personal goals, it not only shows a commitment to the process, but allows them to be positive role models for their kids.
• By selecting a few family goals, like going for a walk twice a week together, it can bring a family closer together, as you are all now personally invested in each other’s success.

Click here for more information on Strong4Life Summer Family Contracts, setting summer goals and creating a contract for your family using our easy, downloadable template.

What goals will you and your family set this summer?  It’s easier to achieve goals when you have a team around you — so share your goals below in the comment section and/or our Facebook page. Let’s all support each other this summer while having fun and keeping our kids healthy!

Strong4Life is a movement created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to address the childhood obesity medical crisis that is threatening nearly one million kids in Georgia. For information about Strong4Life visit our website,Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Strong4Life Blog.