Keeping Your Child Active During the Summer

Once school is out for the summer, children don’t get as much play time. Sure, they might get to the park once in a while, but it isn’t a daily activity like playing in the schoolyard. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your child gets enough exercise when school is on hiatus.

Summer Camps

There are a number of different summer camps in Battle Creek MI that meet this purpose. These camps are aimed at not only keeping your children active, but also educating them in the process. There are a few different types of camps available, so have a look around to see what you can find.

Play Dates

Setting up a few play dates with your child’s friends works wonders because it allows them to get some exercise. If you are seriously committed to the cause, you can take turns hosting the event and allowing the other parents some time away.

Daycare

Even if you are a stay at home parent, putting your child in daycare for a few hours per week could be beneficial. Not only does it allow the child to interact with other kids, but it can also get him outside more often than he would at home.

Book or Movie First?

Ever since I was in grade school and learned to read, I’ve loved to read. I read books all the time, from the classics to those nasty romance novels that are good for a quick read on the bus or while baking on a beach lounge chair.

The Twilight books and movies caused a dilemma for me. Should I read the book first or watch the movie first? I wanted to maximize my reading or viewing enjoyment and not be disappointed with the second one.

Any suggestions from someone who has already done both as to whether I should read the book or watch the movie first?

Color My World

Do grown ups ever get to use crayons and color for fun? Or is that a big part of your creative childhood that has to get left behind after you reach a certain age?

I see crayons on the store shelves as part of the back to school push of products. I would love to buy a big box of crayons and spend a rainy afternoon coloring. Don’t laugh!

Winter Break

School will be out soon for the Christmas holidays. The politically correct way of saying it does not include the word Christmas. But I think that is pretty hypocritical. If Christmas suddenly disappeared off the calendars, do you really think that everyone would be gathering at their families homes for a big dinner and taking 2 weeks off from school? No way. With the holidays falling on Wednesday this year, the kids make out like bandits – they get a full two weeks off from school. That’s a nice long break – especially if you want to go on vacation or travel to see relatives.

Dinner with Wendy

My girlfriend, Wendy was so bummed out today after sending her kids back to their dad that I invited her to dinner and some girl talk. Wendy has two kids but their dad has custody of them during the school year and they come to visit Wendy on holidays and for two months each summer. So the summer vacation is over and they had to go back.

They are great kids – they seem really well adjusted, excellent manners, very lovable. I wonder if they will stay that way or if being in the public school system will corrupt them. Wendy worries that once they are under the influence of other kids and get peer pressure that they will pick up a lot of bad habits and bad language from the other kids. I’m afraid she’s right, but that’s why parenting kids when they are school age is still so important – you have to be ever vigilant.

Time to buy school supplies

I can’t believe it’s that time already. I was in Walmart and the school supplies are already out and the school lists as well. Another two weeks and the kids will be back in school and the next round will have started. It seems like a never ending cycle on one hand, and on the other it seems like the kids just grow so fast I can barely keep up. O.o

Last few weeks of school

Well it is the last few weeks of school and the big exams are over. I am very happy for that. Now we just have to get through the end of year concerts, award ceremonies, field days and the like. OH and one field trip that should have been scheduled much earlier in the year. The kids would have appreciated getting out of the classroom half way through the year more then at the end. It’s whatever though. My little guy is happy to be going at all.

Once the last day of school comes and goes, then it is time to find ways to keep them entertained throughout the summer. Weekends are the easy part, but during the week is going to be trying for my nerves. Wish me luck !

A wonderful day

We had a wonderful day yesterday after school. I took the kids and the dog to the park and we romped and played for two hours. Afterwards, I bought a couple of pizzas to take home and we pigged out on the back porch. The kids were worn out and fell into bed with absolutely no complaints. I am so happy that we did this. WINTER IS OVER Yaaaay !