PLANNING TIME

Exactly how regimented should a child’s summer day be? According to the experts, it depends on a lot of factors, including the child’s age, maturity, concentration and level of independence. What the experts seem to agree on is that all children and teen-agers need to spend some of their summer engaged in structured activities.

“Parents who structure at least some time for their kids experience less discipline problems later,” said Chris Lathrop, crime prevention officer for the Thousand Oaks Police Department.

Children, Lathrop said, seem to be less vulnerable to gangs when their free time is structured by parents. Those in planned activities also get a caring message, he said, and tend to move in the direction that parents want them to go. As they become teen-agers, Lathrop said, children are better equipped to structure their own time.

“Kids need time to unwind from school stresses, and what that actually entails is different for each child,” said Cathy Skiba, director of pupil services and school psychologist for the Oak Park Unified School District.

“Some children are more intense or maybe aren’t good at entertaining themselves; they might require more structured time. A child who feels like (he or she’s) on a treadmill all school year needs time to kick back and relax. Parents are the best judge of their children’s needs.”

Skiba is quick to add that this doesn’t mean any child should go unsupervised, and suggests that parents try and maintain some “threads of the school year over the summer, as long as they bring enjoyment and not additional pressure.”