The weekdays are busy with school, work and study for most families. Weekends can be a more relaxed time but they can also be challenging. Depending on your family commitments you are going to need to get organised and have some structure to what you do. Depending upon your child’s level of independence it is likely that you are still going to need to assist them in leisure activities at weekends and holiday times.
School days require routine, you know your child best and it may benefit your child to continue with some routines over the weekend and holiday periods. Routines are great but weekends allow you to teach your child that some flexibility within the routine is a good thing. This is of particular importance if your child has an associated diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD). While children who have an ASD diagnosis respond very well to routine, they also need to understand that there can be flexibility within that routine.
Schools are also very structured and routine based in regards to what happens during the day. Therefore, it could be a good idea to have a weekend and holiday routine that has flexibility to accommodate each family member’s commitments. Your child’s school day also has a balance of inside and outside activity. Where possible try to keep this balance as well, because it will help to enhance and challenge many aspects of your child’s development.
