Summer is almost here. Parents and children alike are sprinting (or limping) across the finish line; the end of the school year is finally in sight. You can almost feel the sunshine on your face, the relaxation of every muscle, the joy of no schedule, no forms to fill out, no lunches to pack (unless you want to, of course, in which case it’s a picnic).
Then right in the midst of this sun-soaked daydream, someone mentions “the summer slide.” Maybe it’s a teacher or a school notice or something that you scroll past on your social media feed. Is this something you should be worrying about? If you simply enjoy a carefree summer with your children, will they show up to the next grade behind their peers? Will all this swimming and playing and napping and summer fun ruin their chance at success in life?