With camps, travel and screen time filling every moment, many parents say summer doesn't feel like a break. Kristen Altmeyer of Parents magazine joins "CBS Mornings Plus" to explain how to slow down and reconnect.

Washington

Experts are encouraging families to adopt a 'slow summer' approach, emphasizing the benefits of unstructured play and reduced screen time for children. The idea is to move away from packed schedules and allow kids more opportunities for creativity, problem-solving, and relaxation. 

While not all families can implement this every day, experts suggest incorporating slower routines even just on weekends or a few days a week. Simple activities such as family walks or water balloon fights can anchor the day, and limiting device use can help both children and parents be more present. This approach is believed to support children's development by fostering independence and a sense of calm.

How to embrace a "slower summer" with your kids

All right, to our next story. This one's close to home. School's out for the summer. A lot of families don't get much of a break, though. They've got camps, they've got vacations, they're filling spare time with whatever they can, screens come in, and it can be hard to stop and just catch your breath. But some experts are arguing that it's important to hit pause and to embrace what they're calling a slow summer, just to enjoy life's simple pleasures. Kristen Altmeier, Altmeier, vice president, I got it, thank you, Kristen, vice president of parents is here to explain how you can do it. This is close to home because I picked up my older daughter from camp yesterday and then some friends of hers were going right into another camp that was gonna be more STEM focused and I was gonna do it and then I was like, she wants to sleep in, I'm just gonna let her just chill this week. And now I feel vindicated, so thank you for that. Good dad status. Or am I, should I be vindicated? Is that, what does it mean to have a slow summer? Yeah, I mean, a slow summer is essentially like, the school year is so hectic for kids and parents. Slow summer is just taking a more flexible approach and really like being more present in the moment. So we've seen this like 90s summer trend on social and all that is is more unstructured play, less screen time and really being more present in the moment. But a slow summer for kids, I feel like could be a fast summer for adults because like somebody has to watch the kids and normally like you work during the day, so how do parents achieve this? Well, yeah, so this is important. Not every family can do a 90s type of summer seven days a week. I would say most can't, right? So you can fit a slow summer into whatever your situation is, whether it's one day a week or just the weekends, it's really taking that more flexible approach and swapping that schedule for more simple routines. You can anchor the day in a very simple activity, whether it's a family walk or a water balloon fight, something that the kids can look forward to, but there's not a lot of stress. Maybe limit the screen time, being more intentional about the iPhones and the tablets. I think family movie night's still just fine, but being more present and putting those tablets away. I can imagine though a clever 11 year old arguing that slow summer should mean kicking back with a iPad. Yeah, but you know, experts say that the more unstructured time, the more it gives room for creativity and for developing problem solving skills. And honestly, to feel a little bored when kids feel bored, when they get used to that feeling anyway, it can actually give them a sense of calm. And these are all important things for development. I'm on a boredom crusade in my house. You know, I'm like, we're in the car. My husband's like, oh, maybe she can watch a movie. I'm like, she can look out that window and enjoy America for half an hour. And then I'm like, where's the iPad? I do, but it does feel like a loss when the iPad comes out. We've done it only a handful of times at like dinners or something like that, but it always does feel like a loss. When you feel guilty about not pouring resources into your child and constantly cultivating, how do you reassure yourself that somehow some good or cultivation is naturally happening, a progression of some sort? Yeah, I mean, honestly, putting the iPhone away for parents is good for this because then you're not comparing yourself to what everyone else is doing. But also just knowing that the experts say this is important for kids' development. During the year, they are so rigid and so scheduled and they're not developing those skills that they get from having that unstructured time. Good advice. Kristen, thank you so much.

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