The playgrounds and streets are quieter. The streets will soon be a sea of large orange vehicles with flashing lights that only seem to stop when you’re behind them and in a hurry. Yep. The kids are heading back to school.
Staying connected with loved ones as they return to school can be tricky. Suddenly, the kid who had plenty of time during the summer has a full schedule of school hours, clubs, and extracurricular activities, so you can’t just drop by in the afternoon for an ice cream outing. They’re going to be busy, sometimes even busier than those of us living an active adult lifestyle!
It’s still possible to be actively involved with young loved ones during the school year, whether you are local or set up for Zoom calls. The more you can find ways to chip in during their education, the more time you have with those adorable faces—and the more appreciative their parents will be!
A Shopping Trip
Offer to take the kids shopping for school supplies and watch how quickly their parents ask what time you’ll be picking them up! Whether it’s your treat or the parents cover the costs, this “chore” can become a wonderful outing with the kids. Help them pick out a special backpack or lunchbox that reminds them of you whenever they use it, and take them out for pizza and ice cream afterward.
If you can’t be there in person (many residents of Overture communities live several states away from loved ones), an online shopping spree is a worthy alternative. Get on Zoom with the kids, share your screen so they can have a say in what goes into your cart, and let them tell you all about their plans for the school year.
Be a Study Buddy
Whether you have little loved ones still learning to read or teenagers with real homework, you can support the learning process. If your loved ones are close by, pop over after dinner for an hour of reading—and cuddling—before bed. If distance makes it impossible to pop in, set up a Zoom reading session. Or explore some learning apps — little ones will love the Caribou app, which lets you both see the book at the same time.
As the kids get older, your experience can lend a special perspective to subjects like history and political science. One word of caution, though. Math homework these days is not for the faint of heart!
Volunteer
Schools constantly bombard busy working parents with requests to volunteer, so why not step up and take their place? Volunteering can mean anything from helping in the lunchroom or library to relieving teachers in the classroom by reading and telling stories.
You can also help organize fundraisers, earning you brownie points with the school and your loved ones. Volunteering to help with field trips also offers plenty of opportunities to spend time with your favorite youngsters.
Be Available
The nemesis of working parents is the hours between after school and dinner. If you can pick up the kids a couple of afternoons a week and hang out with them before their parents get home, everyone wins. You get to spend time with your loved ones, and their parents get a break.
It’s Overture Time
Overture communities are very welcoming of youngsters, so if they live close by, why not bring the little ones home after school for a visit? You can take advantage of Overture’s resort-worthy facilities to spend some active quality time together or just mellow out in your state-of-the-art apartment. With Overture’s maintenance-free living, you’ll have plenty of time for staying connected with your loved ones, even during the school year.
Book a tour at the Overture property of your choice today.
And charge up that iPad. School is about to begin…again.