The best summers are the ones you don’t do much of anything.
The best summers my kids and I have had, we didn’t go on vacation, no one went to camp, and we spent little money. We would go to museums on free admission days, take picnics to anywhere there was grass, or just hang out in the back yard.
We tie-dyed t-shirts one day. It didn’t take long, so we moved on to sox, pajamas and underwear.
Believing in the old adage that children should get fresh air every day, I dragged our Little Tykes kitchen appliances outside and we played house. Same with the Barbie condo, and Matchbox cars.
We made taffy one day. That was the summer I learned to rollerblade. The kids will never forget my hilarious wipe-out on our way to deliver candy to our neighbor - gravel imbedded in my forehead and taffy all over the road, as if a piñata had broken open somewhere.
As a stay-at-home mom, I’ve come to love summer. It’s my vacation from packing lunches, helping with homework, and nagging kids to get in the car, get to bed on time, get in the car, don’t miss the bus, and get in the car!
If you have school-age children and summer’s on the horizon, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and as much as your kids do. Take a break from the school-sports-lessons-meetings schedule -- and just play.
Check out our ideas for planning A Perfect Summer for Kids and planning a Summer Camp at Home.
