Helping Kids Cope With Summer’s End

Whether your kids look forward to the beginning of school year or not, they’re likely to have some wistful feelings about summer’s end. You can help ease the transition into fall by getting them on a schedule and involving them in the planning, Parents magazine says. Young schoolchildren may not realize why the end of summer makes them feel sad or anxious, so parents should not only listen carefully to what their kids are saying, but also watch their behavior. And it’s not too late to have an “official” end-of-summer cookout or bonfire to commemorate its best moments.

Cap off the Summer With a Cookout

Every year, America celebrates the unofficial end of summer and the contributions of the nation’s workers by taking a Monday off. Naturally, this calls for a cookout! Serious Eats recommends going beyond the old backyard standbys — burgers and franks — to grill up more exotic entrées such as Japanese chicken meatballs, curry kebabs and grilled fish tacos. “Rather than wallow in despair at the changing of the seasons, use the holiday as an excuse for one last, pull-out-all-the-stops backyard cookout,” the site says.