Summertime FUN!

It's summer and there is a billion things to do! This time of year I can reflect on a lot and also enjoy as much time with Alex as possible. It's still hard to believe that he will be going into 3rd grade. I'm not going to get into that because I will start crying.

There is pool time and beach time! We must be careful though. This heat is NO joke and SPF is always on. I wear SPF 70 and the kids' sunblock is SPF 50. Sunburn is no fun. Neither is skin cancer.

Swimming lessons are also important, depending on where you live, and a thing to tackle at a young age. The older the child gets, the more hesitant they will become to learning. TRUST ME. The younger the better. Well, I started Alex at 4, and he cried and screamed bloody murder. Bad example. BUT yes, the younger the better. Whether you hire someone to teach your little one, there should be a community pool that offers the lessons, or getting down and dirty in the pool with your little one, it's something that can keep both child and parent busy.

The Parks and Recreation Department should have some information about swimming and/or summer camps.

The local library usually can hook it up with an activity or two to help out the stay at home parents with child. Whether it be arts & crafts or just grabbing a book to read, it's something productive that will only help your child in the long run. Reading 30 minutes a day will help fluency and vocabulary.

Depending on your area, some movie companies offers free kids' movies during summer months. Again, this depends where you live. Call you local theater or google a popular theater company to see if the website says anything about free summer kid's shows. Normally it's a first come first sit basis but in the end, it's fun, free and the kids enjoy it. You, on the other hand, may get into a serious game of brick breaker on your phone.

Of course there's nothing wrong with watching TV or playing video games, but I believe it should be carefully monitored. You don't want your kid to be glued 24/7 to the TV! Those of you home with your kids, props to you. It's not easy keeping them fed, entertained, and physically engaging in activities without spending a pretty penny!