Let's Keep Making Summer Fun

With little or no money! Here's one for those of you with littler kids (ages 3 1/2 - 6). We may be trying to hard to find things for our kids to do. Mason is almost 5 and last week he came in the house informing me he needed to see our family doctor. When I asked him what for, he told me that he needed to have his imagination checked. He said that there are monsters in the backyard and in his bedroom.

"Real monsters?" I asked.

"Yes, and you should be scared too, because they're in your bedroom, too!"

Now here I am wondering if my son sees dead people, so I ask him again, "What kind of monsters?"

"Mom, they are monsters in my imagination, they are everywhere." he laughed. "I think I should have Dr. Maple look at my head and make sure that I'm okay before I start kindergarten." he said somewhat seriously while nodding his head.

I pulled him to me on the couch and said, "Mason, your imagination is perfect. It's bold, and wild, and colorful, and wonderful just the way it is. You have an imagination just like your mommy has. Sometimes it's so good, it can be a little scary. But here's the important thing to remember; you are in charge of your imagination. You get to pick all the things you see and think, and if you don't like something, you just imagine it gone."

He paused just a minute looking thoughtful and said, "Cool mom, can we bake a cake?"

So, instead of wondering what to do with your kids this summer, imagine your backyard is the ocean and they are pirates. Go with them on a walk in your neighborhood and have them tell you what kind of hike you are on; an African safari, a bear hunt through the woods, or cross country skiing in the snow. Let them tell you and enjoy the ride, real life will be here way too soon!