July Jottings from Janice

There are so many things to do in the summer, and only a precious 62 days in which to do them. That’s the feeling I used to get when my daughters were younger and still needed to be “entertained” during July and August. My husband and I tried to give them a much-needed break from school, but also knew that we would go stir crazy after a couple of weeks of entertaining them. They craved more social stimulation than we seemed to be able to provide!

Hence the allure of day camps. We did everything from city run rec centre camps, to enriched arts camps and even sports camps for girls. They were all wonderful ways for them to further develop their social, physical and creative skills and while away the day.

But we’ve passed another milestone with our 13-year-old this summer. Aside from her three weeks at overnight camp, what’s she up to? Not much. She’ll be hanging out, babysitting, playing soccer and swimming in the local pool. She doesn’t know it yet, but she might be helping us with some work around the house, too.

And I’m okay with that. There are benefits of an unstructured summer, I tell myself. If I get nervous that she’s sleeping in too late or watching too much TV, I need only think of my own lazy days spent watching game shows and soap operas.

We also have the benefit this summer of being able to watch and follow the Olympics. Check out our package of Olympic stories to share with your child. And if you’re going stir crazy, our package of summer-themed stories might inspire you, too.

Janice Biehn

Editor

ParentsCanada