Lazy Days of Summer !?!

I find the pressure to have my children involved in after-school activities to be overwhelming. I watch other families and I am just amazed at how over-scheduled their children are. Club soccer, tournament baseball, dance, after-school enrichment classes, piano, guitar, etc. The list can go on and on. It is not that their children do one or two things at a time, sometimes it is all of the above. Their weekends are filled with their children activities.

The summer is worse. I understand working parents need summer camps and other activities to occupy thier children while they are at work but whatever happened to the lazy days of summer. I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home and be with my children but there is still that pressure to have my children in these camps. I allowed each of them to pick two camps each. For the rest of the summer, we chose to create our own "camp."

Monday- Library and Park Day (We researched parks we haven't been to and wrote them on sheets of paper and added a few that we really love. Each child got to pick one out of the hat until the Mondays of summer were filled.)

Tuesday-Beach Day

Wednesday-Chore Day/Water Play (We agreed on a few things that we need to get done around the house. i.e clean out their drawers.)

Thursday-Field Trip (We wrote down local places we would like to visit)

Friday- FREE DAY

The best thing is that if there is a day we wake up and we feel like doing nothing-we don't have to! Before I know it, my children (9, 8,6) will not want to spend the summer with me anymore. This time we have with them goes by so fast and I do not want to miss a single moment.

Frugal Activity Tip: The AMC Movie Theatres are offering $1 movies throughout the summer on Wednesday at 10am. Go to their website to find a theatre near you.
http://amcentertainment.com

Jen