Mom Shares The 3 'Controversial' Rules She Makes Her Kids Follow On Every Vacation
These rules are actually pretty reasonable.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock Even when on vacation, parents never truly get a break. There are kids to look after, clothes and toys to clean up, and rules to enforce. However, one mom shared that, though they may be controversial to some, her household rules are essential for her kids' growth and development.
New York mom of five Stephanie Woodward shared a video on her Instagram explaining the things she has her two older kids do while on vacation to help them become highly functioning adults. In the caption, she stated, "I'm just trying to raise smart, polite humans who know how to get where they're going."
Here are the 3 'controversial' rules a mom makes her older kids follow on every vacation:
1. They do one math worksheet every day of their summer break
Whether the family goes on a trip over the summer or stays at home, Woodward doesn't let her kids miss a single day of learning. Their worksheets are for the grade level they will be entering in the next school year, to give them a leg up on future learning. "This is because I don't want them to experience a summer slump, and I want them to feel really prepared and excited for the year ahead of them, " she said.
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Multiple studies have shown that kids who experience summer learning loss often have significant academic setbacks when they return to school in the fall. One particular study from Brown University found that, over the summer following a 9-month school year, "the average student loses between 17 and 28% of their school-year ELA gains," and the losses are even larger for math, at around 25-34%. Continued learning over summer break has proven benefits for kids going into the next grade in the next school year.
2. They navigate everywhere the family goes
When she said navigate, she meant it quite literally. Woodward said it's important that her kids know how to read a map and how to get where they're going using it. Part of the learning process, she said, is finding yourself at the wrong place or going in the wrong direction, but the point she stressed was that they figure it out on their own. She stated, "I want them to be able to navigate for themselves as they continue to get older."
Not only is this a valuable skill for the kids to learn, but it's also a small way for them to contribute to the family. "They're always so proud of themselves when we finally get to our destination and they know that they're the reason we were able to get there," Woodward shared.
In an age when GPS is everywhere, it's an important skill to not just know how to read a map, but also simply to have a sense of direction. Most people can't tell if they are going North or South, even when they know the route they are taking, so it's an important life skill Woodward is teaching her kids.
3. They have to read all posted rule signs
Woodward said that, surprisingly, she gets a lot of dirty looks for this one, but she always has her kids read the rule signs anywhere they go. She even asks them to read the rules out loud, to help with both their reading and comprehension skills.
If they happen to break the rules for any reason, she references back to the rules that they read together. Woodward said, "They will know that what they've done is in violation of the rules that everyone has to follow, and they'll correct without having any sort of bad feelings about it."
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Kids need rules, both at home and in public. Having clearly communicated guidelines helps promote safe behaviors, provides structure, and prepares them for the real world. The CDC supports Woodward's approach to following rules, stating, "Remember, young kids sometimes break rules because they simply forget. Not all broken rules occur because kids are testing the limits."
While rules and vacations don't actually sound like much fun, Woodward is proving that you can parent even in the most unexpected places, and it can just become part of daily life.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
