Creating Summertime Family Fun

Personality Style Counts!

Summer vacations are upon us! How do you plan your child’s activities for the summer?

Is everyone off to camp or spending the day at the local pool?

Are you visiting local parks or exploring a museum?

The unstructured days of summer sound heavenly, but sometimes the end result falls short of the mark…

As a mom, I can remember looking forward to the summer months with guarded anticipation. I like planning ahead and I tried a lot of different things but I must admit that I didn’t take into account my children’s personality style as I planned their days. What a difference that might have made!

The four basic personality styles

There are four basic personality styles and here’s a short description of the characteristics of each one:

D: dominant, determined, doer, demanding

I: inspiring, influencing, interactive

S: stable, supportive, sweet, shy

C: cautious, competent, calculating, concerned

How to Plan Activities with Personality in Mind

For the high ‘D’ type, plan some activities that involve physical activities and challenges – join a swim team, sign up for camp or plan a neighborhood get-together. The ‘D’s’ love anything that involves a challenge and offers clear results. Put them in charge of the activities and they are working in their strengths.

For the ‘I’ wired child, social activities are a priority. This child will enjoy attending play groups, vacation Bible school, drama camp anything where they find lots of friends participating. In fact, to get an activity going well, ask them to invite all their friends. You will soon have a party going on!

The ‘S’ wired child would probably be content just to hang around the house entertaining themselves with a few close friends. They like creative pursuits, a laid back easy going routine and a peaceful environment. Lots of rushing off to camp or classes is not for them.

Finally the ‘C’ wired child likes plenty of opportunities to investigate and discover. While they might enjoy a science or computer camp, they could be equally happy pursuing their own projects at home. Encourage them in their quest to satisfy their curiosity about everything around them.

Well, there you have it. A unique way of looking at your summer plans based on your child’s personality style. So often we feel compelled to send everyone to camp or sign them all up for swim team. However, sometimes the activity doesn’t fit the personality or the interests of the child.

First recognize your child’s unique strengths and gifts and then plan your summer accordingly. The lazy days of summer will go much more smoothly.

Great summertime reading:

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Cooperation

Wyatt wants to play Frisbee. Max wants to build a fort and Callie wants to have a tea party. How do the three friends reconcile their differences? Can it be done? When Wyatt doesn’t get his way, Max’s mother suggests he be the Superhero for the day. Join Wyatt as he learns how the magic of cooperation and compromise can bring the five friends closer together.