So schools ended and it’s finally summer! Now what? What plans do you have for the summer? What are we allowed to do as a community? How are you feeling after such a crazy school year?

These are all questions that many of us ask no matter who we are. Summer is typically a time to take a break, maybe some vacation, relax, go to camp, it could be a number of things.

This could mean going on trips, seeing family that you don’t get to see that often. Perhaps you are just taking a deep breath, being grateful that the crazy school year is behind us and hoping to get back to some sense of normalcy. But what does that really look like?

This can vary for person to person and family to family. Lots of people are normally used to going to camp, having part-time jobs for the summer, hanging out with friends and generally just enjoying the weather.

For families who have children or teens with special needs, it doesn’t look the same. The camps that are accessible can be out of reach financially for many people. Especially with younger children, the change in routine can be very difficult to handle with the possibility of having more free time than before. In Covid times, things naturally look different.

So what does everyone do?

Well, this year it seems like everything is changing all the time, so that can make it difficult for all of us to plan special times for our children this summer.

I know for our family it’s definitely not a typical summer, but we are trying to make plans the best we can just to enjoy some time away at our cottage. The thing that I find difficult as a parent of two teens with autism is letting them have time to just relax after a tough year but also keeping them engaged in some activities that will keep their mind occupied.

For our son, it means doing lots of physical activities outside as much as possible while also trying to keep up on some reading and some loosely related learning activities so that he will not lose focus or momentum come the fall.

For our daughter, it’s keeping her busy doing the things that she enjoys like art while also giving her space to just chill and rest her mind.

I know for younger children with special needs, it’s very important to try to keep the learning momentum going each day so that they do not lose skills that they have worked so hard to achieve. This can be difficult for parents to do, especially when the weather is so nice.

Whatever you try to do this summer, I hope you can connect with other families who have similar interests as yours. When allowed, it’s nice to arrange a get together for kids as well as parents.

Amberlea Church is offering a few summer programs accessible for all kids and families.

Family Nights are every Tuesday night at 7pm during the summer. They are a fun virtual activity for the whole family to do together. Each week is a fun new game!

Camp in a Box is offered for the month of July. They are weekly activity boxes that include a daily activity, games and special surprises. Included is daily live Zoom calls with the Summer Team and story videos created by them on our Amberlea Summer Camp YouTube channel. If you are looking for some activities to engage your children, please sign up for this. There are modifications for children with special needs and it may help you engage your children for part of the day. There is also a caring staff that will connect with families to help support you.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:20

God is with us in everything we do. I hope you take comfort in this promise. Enjoy the start of your summer!

Shelly Wedge
Exceptional Families Coordinator

For more information:

Camp in a Box
https://storage.googleapis.com/church_events.amberleachurch.ca/42-shareAnnoucement_Amberlea_-646552427.html

Family Nights
https://storage.googleapis.com/church_events.amberleachurch.ca/42-shareAnnoucement_Amberlea_866528059.html