It's almost here- summer vacation! What do you have planned this summer for your kids? I remember my summers as a child growing up at my grandparents home in Florida, we had so much fun running around the acres of sand, water and sun. My grandfather grew fern for florists, so our classroom was the great outdoors! We learned about snakes, armadillos, exotic flies, bugs and of course various ferns. My brother and I had a wonderful childhood growing up there and we both realize that those years helped to develop us into the man and woman we are today. 

So what are your kids doing this summer? There are so many camps available like acting camp, dance camp, football, band camp, music camp, science camp, rocket camp, writers camp, reading lists and the list goes on. I know it can be expensive to send your child to a camp, but consider the alternative- staying home all day. My boys stayed home one summer and drove me crazy calling me at work every 10 minutes because they were bored, or they needed permission to do something I had already told them they couldn't do. There are low cost programs, programs that provide scholarships, internships and don't forget your neighborhood centers, churches and some school programs. 

And of course statistically, more stuff happens when the kids are home alone! More crime, teen pregnancy, hair cuts (my own experience), house fires and other emergencies. We go over and over the rules but  most  times children are not equipped to handle emergencies, you know blood, fires, someone trying to break in, an out of control fight. So use your resources and do your best to find them something interesting and fun to do for the summer, one summer we didn't have a program, so we found a teacher (there are many retired teachers, who still have some love to give) in the hood and created one. It was the best program ever! So when they have to write that essay about "What I Did This Summer", they'll have something to say besides I stayed at home.