June 2005

Ahhh, summer vacation. The mere words bring us back to a simpler time, when all we needed to do was hang out, eat ice cream and play with our friends. Now, how many of our kids can say that that is what they will be doing all summer?

Our kids are so scheduled, during the school year, during the summer, I am not sure they understand the concept of “hanging out”. We want our children to be happy and successful, but I think we sometimes get confused about how our children learn. Our children learn by playing. It may not look like work, but it is very serious stuff. They learn how to relate to others, how to share, how to play by the rules and when they should by-pass those rules.

I completely understand that as working parents we need to have competent childcare, but check into it to be sure that the children are not running from one activity to another without having any time off. Listen to your children. Ask them what kind of summer activities they would like to do, other than video games all day!

Remember, a successful child is one that is happy. It is not necessary to score the highest, or jump the longest. It is only necessary to see a smile. And perhaps have some ice cream!