Summer Q&A: Chores That Never Get Done, House Rules That Aren't Sticking, and Yes — Whether Your Kid Actually Needs to Shower
About this episode
This episode discusses common summer parenting challenges, including chores, house rules, and child hygiene issues.
School is out — and suddenly you're realizing your kid has no idea how to set the table, hasn't showered since Tuesday, and is tracking mud through the kitchen for the fourteenth time this week. Summer doesn't create new problems. It reveals the ones that were always there, quietly held up by structures that are now gone. In this episode: Why chores that seemed manageable during the school year suddenly fall apart — and how to identify which specific executive function step is getting in the way Why house rules stop working the moment kids are on autopilot, and why redesigning the moment beats restating the rule Common reasons kids resist showering in summer — sensory discomfort, time blindness, initiation struggles — and strategies for each There's a gap between knowing the rule and applying it in context. That gap responds to environmental design, not repeated reminders. Resources mentioned: climbingfishparenting.com/newsletter
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