School’s out. My kids are home with me all day, every day for over two months this summer. In order to avoid hearing, “I’m bored. He’s looking at me. I’m hungry. I’m still bored” over and over again, I’ve come up with a plan to… Make Summer Vacation Great Again! (No one’s using that slogan, right?)
This summer my kids are going to grandma’s house as much as possible. Nothing says, “I love you” quite like shipping your child off to the land of bottomless ice cream and lemonade for a few days. Plus, you get a quiet house. Remember what that was like? Me neither.
For those hot summer days when my kids aren’t at grandma’s, they will be in the pool, a sprinkler park or water park as much as possible. I may even hit up a friend with a boat and drag my kids behind it on a tube.
Not all days are hot though, so I have some rainy day activities planned as well. Each summer there are a few movie theaters in town that offer free or dollar matinee movies. We’ll definitely be enjoying this cheap entertainment (but still spending $25 at the concession stand). Also, the local library has a free summer reading program. My kids can read what they are interested in this summer and not just what they are assigned at school. Also, my kids love the rewards those programs use to encourage readers.
Finally, I plan to allow my kids limited screen time this summer too. There are lots of cool karaoke and movie making apps that will not only keep them busy, but force some creativity out of them as well.
With all these strategies in place, how can this summer not be great again? Have a great break!
