SHARON Summer = structure + supervision

Always know where your children are and whom they're with, child advocates advise.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
SHARON, Pa. -- Parents should schedule summer activities for children and make sure the structure and supervision children need is maintained after the school year ends, child welfare advocates say.
"Maintain some sort of a schedule" for meals and bedtime, advised Debrah Kulusich, director of the Youth Advocate Program's office in Sharon, which serves Mercer County. The Harrisburg-based program, with more than 100 offices nationwide, is a nonprofit evaluation and counseling agency for children and adolescents with mental and behavioral problems.
"It's very important that they have consistency and routines throughout the summer," said Regina Scarmack, assistant director of the agency's Sharon office and a child behavior specialist. "Even though summer is a little bit more relaxed, they still need that structure and the discipline and the routines on a consistent basis," she added.
Bad time
Many parents assume their children are most likely to get into trouble after dark, but actually, children are most likely to engage in delinquent behavior between 3 and 7 p.m., Scarmack said.
"For summertime, crime time could be throughout the day if there's no supervision. So it's important that each parent know where their child is throughout the day," and make telephone calls to ascertain they're where they're supposed to be, she added.
Parents also need to know whom their children are spending time with, said Kulusich, a state-licensed counselor.
Numerous free or low cost structured summer youth programs and activities are available locally through schools, churches, 4H clubs, and organizations such as the Buhl Club and Buhl Park, Kulusich and Scarmack said.
Information about them is in newspapers and on Web sites, Kulusich said. "Parents need to be motivated enough to do this ahead of time," she said.
"Make sure it's an activity that promotes their strengths. If it's not an activity that promotes their strengths, they may not be apt to want to participate in that activity," Scarmack said.
It's also a good idea to select a program linked to the child's home community, preferably one attended by some of the child's school classmates, Scarmack said. "It's not a good idea to enroll a child in Greenville if they live in Sharon because their peer group and their experiences aren't going to connect them up there," she observed.
Both women also had advice for children and adolescents, themselves, on how to have a safe, productive and rewarding summer.
"Know your peers. Pay attention to the peer groups that you choose. Choose peer groups that are going to be a positive influence, rather than a negative," Kulusich advised.
Young people also need to think in advance of the consequences of their actions, Scarmack said. "It's important to think about what you're going to do and what will result from that," she advised.