Summer is in full swing and the longest day of the year is 2 days away. How are we going to keep our kids busy for the rest of the summer?  I thought you might appreciate some ideas. If you want even more ideas be sure to join our Facebook Group to see the Summer Fun Challenge list. Have a great day.

Arts & Crafts

• Bathroom Crayons
• Coloring books
• Face Paint
• Garden Decorations
• Make a Movie
• Necklace/Jewelry
• Paint A Picture
• Paint Rocks
• Scrapbook
• Stickers
• Take Pictures
• Window Markers

Indoor Activities

• Board Games
• Card Games
• Cardboard Boxes
• Tell a story
• Read a book
• Freeze Dance
• Legos
• Look through photo albums
• Jigsaw puzzle
• Have a picnic
• Play with toys
• Dominoes
• Bake Cookies
• Duct Tape & Cardboard
• Rice Krispy Bars
• Balloon Games
• Play Doh/Clay
• Magnets
• Marbles & Tracks

Outdoor Activities

• “Drive In” Movie
• Birdwatching
• Blow Bubbles
• Bonfire
• Canoe
• Capture Fireflies
• Catch bugs
• Climb a Tree
• Clouds
• Fishing
• Fly a kite
• Go for a walk
• Have a picnic
• Hula Hoop
• Jump Rope
• Pick Flowers
• Plant a garden
• Play in a sandbox
• Ride Bikes
• Ride Skateboards
• Rollerskate
• Sidewalk chalk
• Smores
• Sparklers
• Stargaze
• Swim
• Wash Car
• Water Balloons
• Water Sprinkler

Outdoor Games

• Hide and seek
• Marco Polo
• Obstacle Course
• Scavenger Hunt
• Silly Races
• Tag

Places to Go

• Yard Sales
• Go for a hike
• Local park
• Pick Berries
• regional park
• The Beach
• Museum
• Festival
• Movie
• Water Park

Things To Make

• A book
• Bird Feeder
• Fairy Garden
• Model Airplane
• Model Boat

P.S.  Happy 14th Birthday Anna!

You can’t – just give up now and you will be much happier. After all they know everything right? According to my daughter she does. Okay, I know she doesn’t know everything, but the more I argue with her the madder I get. So let’s all agree that no matter what our age we will never be smarter than our teens. (Although I seem to remember my parents got smarter as I got into my 20′s so there is hope)

Now that we know we won’t be smarter than them it opens up a whole new aspect of our relationship. I don’t argue with my child nearly as much as I used to. Generally if it doesn’t involve her safety I let her make her choices and I let her live with the consequences. If you missed my last post it was all about teaching our kids to be responsible without nagging them. Being responsible means making the right choices. Now my teen is doing everything in her power to prove that I was completely incompetent as a mother and she didn’t learn a thing about responsibility. (okay maybe not, but it sure feels that way)

I have often told other parents that I was a lucky mother. Most parents have wonderful children who do as they are told (usually) and are pretty good kids until they are teens and then they turn into these all-knowing, argumentative beings who have no desire to listen to anything you say. My child was born argumentative and all-knowing. As a child she would quiz everyone she met and if they didn’t know what Oviparous means they weren’t as smart as she was and therefore she didn’t have to listen to them – yep the adults too.

Now that she is a teen she has changed her views and is just smarter than everyone, except maybe JRR Tolkien, but he is dead so that doesn’t count. So what is a mother to do? Actually I have discovered that she doesn’t really think she knows everything. She still asks me questions from time to time – then ignores the answers I give her. She just loves to argue and wants to make her own decisions. This is part of her personality. She has always loved to argue. I have learned that it is useless to try and persuade her that I really do know what I am talking about.

So now I am working hard at simply stating my opinion and then letting her make her own choices. That is all she really wants after all. Surprisingly this seems to be working. Occasionally she actually takes my advice. Not always, but if I argue with her about it she NEVER does what I tell her to do. It is hard for me to step back and watch her walk out the door without her jacket or let her get that D in math, but if she doesn’t experience the consequences of her actions, she won’t learn. Pretty soon she is going to be an adult and I won’t be able to protect her from the realities of life.

So for me it isn’t that she thinks she is smarter than I am it is that she is stretching her wings and trying to make her own choices. I need to trust that all of that hard work we did when she was younger will pay off and she will make the right choices when it matters. We will still tell her what to do, but at least now I know that she is only going to listen about 10% of the time.

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As much as I worry about my abilities as a parent I also worry about what my kids will grow up to be. Particularly when they are whining at me about something they want, or how mean I am to make them do their chores or whatever. I get those flashes of raising mean, selfish, self-absorbed people who don’t care about the world around them. There has to be a way to teach them about responsibility without nagging all the time. For our family it has come down to a simple rule:

Immediate consequences that are meaningful to the child are the best teachers.

That means that your child is not always going to win, they are not going to be the best and brightest all the time. They are going to experience sadness and anger and disappointment. They need to have these experiences when they are young so they know how to deal with those emotions.  They need to experience the natural consequences of their actions to understand how being responsible really affects their lives and the lives of those around them. Here are some suggestions for your family to help your kids learn responsibility.

Let them fail when they are young.

I know it sounds harsh, but when kids are young, grade school and under they can fail without any permanent damage to their life. For example if they are not responsible enough to remember to put that toy away and someone steps on it and breaks it, then they will learn to put toys away. Don’t buy them a new one, don’t yell at the about leaving their toys out, just throw away the broken toy. Of course when it is time to clean up for the day you can remind them what happened to their toy that didn’t get put away and it may motivate them to be more responsible with their things. I still remember when my youngest didn’t put her scooter away and I backed over it in the driveway – breaking it of course – I told her right then that I wasn’t going to get her a new one and she would just have to do without until her next birthday (Which is in November.) She cried and was sad, but after that she made sure her bike was always put away and when she did get a scooter she never left it in the driveway again. Little lessons like that where the consequences are immediate and meaningful to them will do more to teach them about being responsible than any lecture you can give.

This applies to school as well. If they have homework to do and don’t get it done, let them experience the consequences. Don’t solve their problem for them. Don’t send a note to school or call the teacher to get an extension. Of course you can help them learn from their mistakes and give them ideas for what they could do differently time, but let them experience the natural consequences of not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Again experience will teach them over time. Hopefully if they learn this in grade school they won’t have trouble getting their work in as they get older and it actually matters to their grades.

All of this life experience will help them make better choices as they get older and the consequences could change the course of their life. Once kids get into middle school they will be exposed to drugs, alcohol, bad behavior by others and constant choices every day. If they have not learned that those choices have consequences by middle school they will be vulnerable to making the wrong decision.

I had a teacher in high school that was right out of college. He was a nice guy, but not the best with classroom management. One day he was handing out some homework and one of the other students smarted off and asked, “What if I don’t feel like doing this?”

The teacher responded, “You don’t have to do it, but you do have to deal with the consequences of that choice. If you choose not to do the work you will fail the class.” That simple statement changed my life. I was a good kid and generally followed the rules, but for some reason that simple statement empowered me. I knew from that moment on that I could make choices and control my life – good choices and bad ones.

That is really what responsibility is all about: Making the right choices to get the things done that need doing.

Get  a pet

This doesn’t have to be a cat or a dog. Fish, hamsters, reptiles and birds all require care. Having an animal that depends entirely on you for its life will highlight the importance of taking care of others. You may need to follow up to make sure the animal is properly cared for, but this is just to ensure the animal doesn’t suffer. If the child is not taking care of the animal – give it away to someone who will care for it. Again, consequences of not being responsible need to be immediate and meaningful.

Volunteer as a family

If you want your kids to understand the importance of serving the community and being responsible for the environment or other people or whatever your passion may be, volunteer. There are a lot of organizations that desperately need help. By regularly volunteering your time and attention you are showing your kids that it is important. Kids learn it by living it and that is true of anything you try to teach them.

I hope these three ideas will help you help your kids. I know as a parent we all want our kids to be health, happy, productive adults. Part of that is learning to make good choices and learning how to learn from our bad choices.

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I have a degree in elementary education, have been a nanny, mentor, teacher and babysitter. In short I spent the first half of my adult life taking care of other people’s children. As a result I thought I would be pretty comfortable being a mom. I felt that way right up until I gave birth and the hospital sent me home with this little baby and no instruction manual.

I knew all about how to change a diaper and hold her, but I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that go along with being a parent. I vividly remember when she was 3 days old and was asleep on the couch I suddenly couldn’t hear her breathing. I rushed to couch to make sure she was okay – of course she was fine but I will never forget that feeling. I knew that I wouldn’t always be able to hear her breathe, but any change was cause for a moment of fear.

I don’t think there has been a day since when I haven’t worried at some point about being a bad parent. I still remember calling the nurse line when my oldest was about 11 months old and I gave her a graham cracker to eat for the first time. Then I read the box and it was a honey graham – PANIC – kids under 1 year of age aren’t supposed to have honey. The nurse did a really good job of not laughing at me when I called the nurse line.  It only got worse as the kids got older. I worry about:

• Did I expect too much or too little at any given age?
• Am I a helicopter parent?
• Am I not around enough?
• Should I let her do whatever it is she is asking to do?
• Should we make her play sports?
• Should we spank?
• Why won’t she eat good food?
• Will television make her brain melt?
• What computer games should she play?
• Is she maturing fast enough?
• What if she never gets a job?
• What if she fails in school?
• How will she do at her first……?
• What will I do when she has her first date?

(I have 2 girls so I used She and Her but the same worries apply to boys too)

As any parent knows the list is endless of all the things we think we may be doing wrong at any given moment. I have been honest with my oldest daughter and told her we have no idea what we are doing and pretty much just making it up as we go along. I am not sure she appreciated that, but it made me feel better.

Of course being a good parent means you are going to worry at least some, because as a good parent you want the best for your kids. The problems arise when we are trying to figure out what exactly that is. If you have more than one child you know that every child is different and what works for one won’t necessarily be right for another. So what is a parent to do?  I have created my own set of ‘rules’ about how to be a good parent. I say good and not perfect because none of us are perfect. I hope you find these helpful.

Consider your own personality and your child’s personality.

There are lots of people out there who will tell you what you ‘should’ be doing with your child to make them better. People will tell you how to discipline them, what they should eat or wear or do after school.  Some of this information is helpful, some of it is just trying to sell you something (Does anyone remember Baby Einstein?) and some of it is just not right for your family. Go ahead and listen to the people you trust, ignore the people you don’t and do what works for you and your family.  Don’t feel guilty about it either if you aren’t doing what ‘everyone’ thinks you should.  If it works for your family and your children are healthy and happy then you are doing just fine.

In my family, my Mother was a neat freak. You could eat off her garage floor without a plate. My brothers and I had chores we had to do each week to help and the house ran smoothly because it made her feel better to have a clean house. I hate housework and refuse to dust even to this day. I would frantically clean every time my parents came to visit. Finally I realized that my Mother would love me even if my house wasn’t as clean as hers was. It just wasn’t in my personality to need to have it that clean. I was comfortable with a more ‘lived in’ look. Once I realized I didn’t have to live the way she did I relaxed and we enjoyed our visits a lot more. I have found this same philosophy works in a lot of other areas just as well.

Keep learning and try new ideas to solve problems.

Our oldest daughter is amazing  – and as a child she has been incredibly difficult to raise because she has special needs. She has Asperger’s and we didn’t know it until she was in kindergarten. What that means is that she did not react the same way as other children to loud noises, the way new food tastes, how clothing feels and a whole lot of other things. We love her and so we just kept trying new things to help her get though her day. We learned that while she wouldn’t wear jeans she would wear soft leggings so we stocked up. She didn’t like loud places so we didn’t take her to the movie theatre or concerts where it would be too loud for her. We read all kinds of books and some of them were very helpful while others just didn’t do us any good. Eventually of course she was diagnosed and whole new world of resources was available to us to help her.

We learned that she needed to be taught what body language means. I still remember when her sister was about 3 years old and I was angry about something she told her sister, “You better behave, Mom has her mad voice on.”  This was a complete surprise to the oldest as she didn’t realize that changes in voice tone mean something.  We changed her diet and started taking her to all kinds of therapies. Again some worked and some didn’t. Over the years she has grown and now really has no issues. I can say I truly enjoy her (Yes, even though she is 13 she is still a lot of fun.)

Now raising a child with special needs has its own challenges, but so does raising any child. I think the fact that our oldest did have special needs opened our eyes to trying new things so when our youngest has a problem at school or wherever we are more open to suggestions on how to address the issue. I am still always looking for tips and tricks to help make me a better Mom.

Be there for your kids

It is so important to be present every day for your kids. Not just for the big stuff, but for the little stuff too. I know that they need to know you care and that you love them, but being there is also for you. As a parent sometimes it can feel like a struggle just to get through the day, let alone through the week. We get caught up in the day to day stuff that needs to be done and forget that time is passing. Pretty soon these little ones who are driving us crazy with their toys and their questions will be gone. It sounds cliché, but it is true. I almost burst into tears the other day when I realized my youngest no longer fits in my lap so easily. In a couple of years she won’t want to snuggle with me anymore and then what will I do? I am not sure the cat can fill that void.

Be there for your kids and enjoy the moments. This is another reason I have started my Summer Challenge – This will probably be the last summer where I can actually spend time having fun with both of my girls every day.

Stand back more often

As a parent there have been plenty of times when I wanted to jump into a situation where one of my daughters was playing and things weren’t going well. I have learned that it is better to let them handle it first. I am not talking about if there is a safety concern, but if the kids are fighting about toys or who gets to be the secret agent and who is the villain, let them sort it out. This is how kids learn to solve problems and get along with their peers. It was really hard for me to stand back, but the reality is that if they don’t learn these skills when they are young they will have far more trouble when they get into school.

Tell them you love them every day – twice

This is an easy one when they are little and gets harder as they get older. I tell my kids I love them every morning when I wake them up and every night when I send them to bed.  When it has been a tough day and I have been fighting  with one of them, this isn’t always easy. However I think it is important for them to know that no matter what happens we love them.

I am sure there are many more tips to help us all become better parents but that is all I have. I hope you find these helpful.  I frequently add articles with more ideas to the ‘In the News’ page so be sure to check back often and see what I have discovered on the web.

Disclaimer: I am the world’s worst housekeeper.  I don’t dust, I barely vacuum and the only room that gets cleaned regularly by me is the kitchen.

Okay – now that you know how bad I am at housekeeping I am sure you are dying to get organizational tips from me.

Actually I am one of the most organized people around – I may not clean, but I can’t stand clutter.  It drives me nuts that my kids leave their stuff wherever it drops. I have spent years trying to keep them organized. With a lot of trial and error I have found some strategies that work for us at different ages. Here are a few for you to try:

Babies

Babies have more stuff than any human should have. Once they had outgrown the playpen we used it as a toybox. It sat in the corner of the living room and every night before bed I would walk through the room and just toss everything baby related into the playpen. Once a week I would put everything away in its proper place. It may not have really been that organized, but let’s face it – parents of babies are exhausted and it is far more important to sleep than to clean. As long as I wasn’t tripping over stuff or stepping on it and breaking it I was satisfied.

Toddlers

This is when my children turned into miniature tornadoes. They would leave a trail of destruction behind them that rivaled any hurricane. With the attention span of a gnat they would pick up an item, play for approximately 5 seconds, drop it and move on to the next item. It wasn’t too bad with the oldest as she was an only child and I could just follow her around and pick up after her, but when we had the second child it was impossible to keep up. Luckily I discovered how wonderful plastic tubs can be. We found one of those toy organizers with colored plastic tubs at a garage sale and never looked back. Each tub had an open top and we would designate a tub for specific toys. For example wooden blocks in one, toy cars in another, Barbies in a third and so on. We tried putting pictures on the outside of the tub so they would know what goes where but that didn’t really work for us. We were just happy if they put a toy in any box.

Now every evening we would play a song on the CD, really LOUD. Much louder than we normally allowed and while the song was playing everyone had to help pick up toys. Most kid’s songs are only a couple of minutes long so they didn’t have to help for very long, but using a song made it into a game. Sometimes they were having so much fun they would ask to play the song again. Once every couple of weeks I would go through the tubs and resort them so they actually had the right toys together.

In addition to the standard tubs I would keep a cardboard box handy. If the kids didn’t do a very good job of picking up I would go around and put everything left on the floor in the cardboard box. That box would then go into the basement and they couldn’t play with those toys for awhile. Often it was just a day or so, but sometimes it was longer. After repeating this process a couple of times they learned to put their toys away much better.

Grade School Age and Up

Now that they are in school they understand that if they leave their toys out and I have to pick them up I will take them away. This has been a great motivator for them. We still use plastic tubs to organize the toys and we work together about 3 times a year to go through all of the tubs of toys. Often things are broken and we toss those. Sometimes the toys have been outgrown and we donate those. Sometimes we discover we have more of something than the tub will hold. The kids have to make choices then so that their toys fit into the existing tubs. For us this is most commonly stuffed animals or Barbies. The kids will decide what they want to keep and the rest get donated.

Of course I also have a teen in the house and we don’t have much trouble with her toys because they are all electronic now and usually plugged into an outlet. I will admit I miss the days of Polly Pockets and plastic dinosaurs, but I don’t miss stepping on them in my bare feet, although Polly Pockets are a lot softer to step on then Legos.

Birthdays and Holidays

One secret I have found for keeping kids toys organized is to allow them fewer toys overall. This has been really hard for my husband who loves to shower the girls with gifts on birthdays and holidays. The problem is that often they only play with them for a little while and then never touch them again.

When my youngest has a birthday party and receives gifts from her friends she is allowed to open 1 that day. The rest are boxed up and put into a closet. She can ask for one whenever she wants, but no more than 1 per day and she has to be specific when asking for something. More often than not she will ask for 1 or 2 more that stand out for her as a lot of fun and the rest are never opened. I will usually re-gift these to the cousins who happen to be the same age or donate them to charity at Christmas. It saves me money and reduces the clutter.

In my opinion it is much better to get a few toys that will be used.

A few final tips for parents:

• Have a specific time where everyone helps pick up each day.
• Set a timer and make everyone help for a short amount of time – 10 minutes will get a lot done
• Help kids learn how to pick up and put away from a young age – they will still argue about it, but you know they at least know how to do it.
• Have a specific place where everything is supposed to go so there is no confusion and less hiding things in the closet.

I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any to add, please be sure to join our facebook group and share.

I am sure that I am much like many other parents in that I am so excited for the beginning of summer, but by the end I can’t wait for my kids to go back to school. There is something great about those long days of summer fun with no schedules and less responsibility. However that same lack of schedule can have a profound impact on their behavior and by the end of the summer I just want them to go back to school. I have lamented that there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do to fix this – but I have come to realize there actually is.

The suggestions I am about to give are entirely my opinion. I didn’t do any research to back them up, but I have found through trial and error that they are true for our family. I am offering them as a few extra ideas to help your summer run a bit smoother this year.

Agree on the rules and stick to them.

During the summer we tend to relax our rules about bedtime, what to eat, how much television to watch and the list goes on. This summer we are actually going to write down the ‘summer rules’ and post them. This not only helps the kids, but it helps me stick to them. For example during the summer the kids will get to stay up as late as they want, but they have to be in their rooms by a specific time and they still have to get up by a specific time. This will avoid all of those arguments about wanting to stay up late ‘just for tonight.’ A couple of days of being tired and they will probably go to sleep earlier all on their own.

Give them some responsibility.

Usually during summer we would just let the kids run and play, after all they are kids. This summer they are going to have some very specific responsibilities. Nothing too hard, but things they will need to do before they are allowed to watch television or play. I am hoping that by asking them to pitch in around the house the summer will be easier on all of us. This also means that if they want to do something special they need to help figure out how to make it happen. In past years one of them would have a great idea like, “Let’s go to the beach.”  And then it was up to Mom and Dad to make it happen. This year if they have a great idea they will need to help with the preparations and planning. Hopefully this will help them understand all of the work that goes into these outings and not put up such a fuss when we say no. We are also less likely to say no if we aren’t the ones putting all of the work into it.

Pay attention to what they are watching.

We tend to relax our usual rules about how much television the kids are allowed to watch in the summer. This summer I am planning on still letting them watch more than during the school year, but I am going to pay attention to what they are watching and that includes on YouTube. Now that they are both older the shows they watch are not as wholesome. Let’s face it there really isn’t anything to worry about with Dora or Barney, but now they are watching more mature programs. I really believe that what they watch affects their behavior. If they are watching sitcoms with kids who are disrespectful I find that they tend to become disrespectful also.  Generally we try to limit them to movies during the summer so we can control what they are seeing more effectively.
Don’t let things slide.

It is so easy to let behaviors slide during the summer, but this year I am going to make an effort to enforce the need for respect. No talking back or arguing (okay so the 13 year old always argues, but we are working on that)

Plan for days with ‘special’ rules.

We generally have a couple of days each summer where we know the kids are going to be up later or whatever. This summer we are going to try to be a bit more proactive about these dates and set them aside as special days where the rules are much more relaxed. We will put them on the family calendar and if the kids want to stretch a rule on a different date we will remind them the rules apply except for those specific dates. For example on Friday nights they are allowed to stay up later than normal. In the summer that usually means staying up until dark. This rule only applies on Fridays and we have found that the rest of the week we don’t get nearly as much arguing about going to bed. There are specific nights where they are allowed to watch television during dinner and the rest of the week the television is turned off when we eat. Again we don’t hear a lot of complaining because they know they get that one night and if they push too much they will lose even that.

We have found these strategies to be helpful. If you have any suggestions be sure to join our Facebook group and share them. I know I can use all the help I can get.

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• Summer Fun Challenge

If you aren’t aware I have issued a summer challenge. I am going to do 1 fun thing every day this summer. I have asked other parents to join me in this challenge in the hopes it will keep me honest and motivated. To help us out I am going to post a different set of ideas each week. This week I thought the list of outdoor activities would be a good place to start. Of course if you have any additional ideas I would love to hear them. The more the merrier after all. Please join our Facebook group and let us know what you like to do for fun in the summer.

Outdoor Activities

•    “Drive In” Movie
•    Birdwatching
•    Blow Bubbles
•    Bonfire
•    Canoe
•    Capture Fireflies
•    Catch bugs
•    Climb a Tree
•    Fishing
•    Fly a kite
•    Go for a walk
•    Have a picnic
•    Hula Hoop
•    Jump Rope
•    Pick Flowers
•    Plant a garden
•    Play in a sandbox
•    Ride Bikes
•    Ride Skateboards
•    Rollerskate
•    S’mores
•    Sidewalk chalk
•    Sparklers
•    Stargaze
•    Swim
•    Wash Car
•    Watch Clouds
•    Water Balloons
•    Water Sprinkler

This is just a list to get you started. If you join our

Facebook group the complete list with instructions and additional information

where appropriate is listed. Let’s get going and have some fun!

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Summer is the season for grilling and sandwiches at our house. My husband does the grilling and my kids are old enough to make their own sandwiches. Sounds perfect right?  Unfortunately my husband doesn’t always do the grilling and my kids prefer some ‘Mom Love’ in their sandwiches so I am still cooking. Luckily I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve to make summer meals quick and easy at our house. Since this is supposed to be the fun season I thought I would share them with you. Let me know if you have any other ideas so we can all enjoy the season somewhere other than the kitchen.

1. Prepare single servings ahead. I have only recently discovered the joys of shopping at Cosco. However giant  boxes and bags are not the easiest to dish out. I have invested in a lot of those single serving plastic containers. Usually on a Sunday afternoon or evening I will spend about 15 minutes creating single serving sizes of all the popular treats at our house. That includes fruit, snacks, desserts and sandwiches. The sandwiches and fruit are usually kept in the refrigerator so they are fresh. I make enough to get through the whole week. I actually have an entire shelf in my pantry that is reserved for these single servings.  I will even go so far as to create single servings of beverages using empty water bottles. Now when we are rushed to get to softball, want to have a picnic or are just lazy after a long day in the garden we can throw together a meal very quickly.
2. Use the Crock Pot. I know most people think of using the crock pot in the winter for cooking warm meals, but BBQ ribs in the summer are just as yummy. Prepare the meat and sauce the night before and let it sit in the fridge so the meat gets seasoned. Then cook all day and eat for dinner. Usually we end up with leftovers which I put in single serving containers and freeze if we aren’t going to be eating them immediately.
3. Eat more raw food. This may sound a little odd but it doesn’t take long to grab an apple, pear, orange, carrot, tomato or any of the many other raw fruits and vegetables available. If you have a lot of these on hand you can use them as sides and then you only have to cook the main dish. Meals at our house frequently consist of a meat that has been cooked and then 2 or 3 sides of raw fruits/vegetables. Of course the fact that we have a garden helps. The kids love to pick their own tomatoes, peas and carrots to eat. If your main course is deli meat you can put together a meal in less than 5 minutes.
4. Serve fast food. No, I don’t mean McDonalds or whatever your favorite fast food restaurant is. I mean get food that travels easily. Granola bars, fruit snacks, apples, raisins, cheese & crackers, carrots, cereal, pop tarts or whatever your kids like. There are plenty of foods that are designed to be eaten on the go and they are perfect for summer.
5. Have Breakfast for Dinner. There are a lot of foods out there for breakfast that are fast and easy to prepare. Frozen waffles, pop tarts, ceral & milk, instant oatmeal or whatever your family likes. Do something different and have breakfast for dinner once in awhile.
6. Relax. It is summer and meals don’t necessarily have to be served at a specific time. They don’t have to be a full meal and they don’t have to be a production. We eat a lot of sandwiches, soups, cereal, salads and deli meat during the summer. It is fast and easy. I also tend to use paper plates during the summer to cut down on clean up.

I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have anything that you do to make summer meals faster or easier please join our Facebook group and share!

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For many of us summer actually starts next week when our kids are finally done with school. I am not sure who is looking forward to it more – the kids or me. Normally there is a week between when school lets out and when our summer care begins so often we would go camping or on some kind of vacation. Unfortunately this year we are not going to be able to go anywhere for a vacation so we have decided to have a staycation. In the spirit of our Summer Challenge I have decided to try and go somewhere new as many of those days as we can. There are plenty of attractions around the Twin Cities that we have never visited and I think now is the time to try them.

I thought perhaps there were other families who also would not be able to go on a vacation and you might enjoy a peek at what we will be doing next week. Not everything on the list is new, but my kids have their favorites that they want to revisit. I have chosen 1 indoor and 1 outdoor adventure for each day, as you never know what the weather will be.

Saturday: Canoe the Cannon River: Vertical Endeavors

Sunday: Boom Island: St. Croix Valley Railway

Monday: Minnesota River Bluffs: See a movie

Tuesday: Wolf Center: Roller Skating

Wednesday: Fort Snelling State Park (beach): Wabasha Street Caves

Thursday: Lake Minnetonka Regional Park: Nickelodeon Universe

Friday: Ride a Trolley: Jackson Street Roundhouse

Of course this plan may change according to how my kids feel. Usually we will take one day to just hang around the house, particularly if the weather is nice and their friends are home to play.

If you know you aren’t going anywhere this summer, but still want to have a fun week with your family I would suggest sitting down and planning a week of fun. Perhaps there is a hobby your family enjoys or something they have always wanted to try. Take a week and try it. There are plenty of adventures right here at home. If you need more ideas you can check out my book: Insider Guide to Minneapolis Staycations.

Last weekend I went to see the newest Star Trek Movie. I have been a fan since the first series aired and I saw it as reruns in the 1970’s. I watched every series (can you name them all?) and every movie. I was such a fan that when I was a kid my Dad got me a book called ‘Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Star Trek.’ It was a cute book and I enjoyed it. Fast forward to today.

Now I am a parent and I find that there are still a lot of good lessons to learn from Star Trek.  Here are my top 10:

1. Boldly go where no one has gone before – Don’t be afraid to be your own parent. You may not do it the way others think you should, but if it works for you and it works for your kids stick with it.
2. Non interference is the prime directive – You need to let your kids work it out as much as possible. That is how they learn to handle life. Don’t jump in to solve their problems for them but help guide them to a solution.
3. Humans are highly illogical – I am not always going to be consistent in my rules and my kids are just going to have to learn to deal with it.
4. Always stand by your Captain – Spock, Captain Kirk and Bones always support each other, even when they disagree. They forgive each other when they make mistakes and they keep moving forward.
5.  Set your phasers on stun – Be careful what you say to your kids, you can never unsay it – even an ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t always going to erase those scars.
6. Logic is the beginning of wisdom – Rules are important, but teaching our kids to think for themselves is even more important.
7. Never wear a red shirt – Everyone is important.
8. Even Tribbles have a purpose – Sometimes you just need to show your kids how much you love them, even when they are teens and don’t seem to want that kind of affection.
9. Never give up, Scotty can fix anything –  Keep trying until you find what works for your kids and your family.
10. Infinite diversity is a good thing – There is always something new just around the corner and it is important to learn about it before making any judgments.

Those are my lessons from Star Trek – I hope you enjoy them. If you have any you would like to share be sure to join our Facebook Group and share them – I would love to hear from you as I can use all the help I can get.