Love them or hate them, summer is prime time for family reunions. My extended clan gets together for a huge gathering every year. And by huge I mean an entire weekend full of family-friendly events, including picnics, sit down dinners, brunch buffets, scavenger hunts, golf outings, fishing derbies, bowling contests, and group picture-taking sessions that can take almost the entire afternoon. Both of my parents come from large families. My father is one of 10 children whose siblings each have at least four children each. Those kids went on to reproduce more than 50 additional children, and counting. Needless to … Continue reading →

How many times have you heard childhood experts insist, “The family that eats together stays together”? Well, what about the family that cooks together? We recently hosted a Fourth of July party with two other families, but rather than doing all the cooking myself or having a potluck, everyone pitched in to cook the celebratory meal. You’d think that the process would be chaotic with young kids and grown-ups stepping on each other. However, with a little delegation and each person working on individual tasks we avoided the problem of having “too many cooks in the kitchen.” If you are … Continue reading →

What do you do when Mother Nature rains on your Fourth of July parade? If you are my sister-in-law, you move the party indoors. Like the good parent that she is, my brother’s wife made the change of venue work in order to salvage her family’s holiday plans. Parades, picnics, fireworks, every aspect of the Independence Day experience, was amended rather than cancelled all together. My 4-year-old nephew had his heart (and decorated wagon) set on riding in the village’s Fourth of July parade. When a thunderstorm put the kibosh on that event, my sister-in-law struck up her own band … Continue reading →

Not for nothing, but I am not a big fan of parents who complain about having to deal with their kids now that school is out for the summer. Granted, I have a fairly flexible work schedule and I don’t have to contend with four kids fighting like rats in a sack. Still, even if I had to work 9-5 from home and had six kids, I wouldn’t kvetch about going crazy because my kids are home all day interfering with my regular schedule because… it’s not their fault. If you really, really can’t stand having your kids at home … Continue reading →

As I mentioned in a previous blog, you don’t have to fly to Disney or rent an expensive RV and hit the road on a two-week vay-cay to make lasting summer memories with your kids. If the struggling economy has you scaling back on your summer vacation plans, then consider sticking closer to home and bonding with your children while taking part in the following activities: Berry Picking Strawberry picking is a summertime tradition in our family. Each June, we drive to a nearby farm and pick pounds and pounds of fresh, juicy berries. The family-friendly activity is geared towards … Continue reading →

Who says you have to splurge on a Disney getaway or a Six Flags splash-fest in order to make your kid happy this summer? In the few years that I have been a parent I’ve learned that children care more about the amount of quality time you spend with them rather than the amount of money you spend on them. Of course, my daughter is only six, so that theory is subject to change once she hits tweendom. Still, there’s nothing quite like bonding with your child in the great outdoors on a bright summer day. Just you, your kid, … Continue reading →

What’s that they say about the best laid plans often going awry? I’d bet anything that a parent came up with that one. It was probably a mom traveling with kids. A mom on vacation desperately trying to squeeze a million activities into a single day in order to make her children happy, but finding that the universe, and the kids, had other ideas on how the day should unfold. Sound familiar? It does to me. A few days ago my 6-year-old daughter and I took a summer road trip to Six Flags Great America, so that she could be … Continue reading →

Summer vacation can be the best of times or worst of times for parents with bored kids. If you are scrambling for ways to keep your children entertained during the dog days of summer break from school, consider these kid-friendly activities that yield sweet treats, full stomachs and huge smiles: SWEET SAND CASTLE Ingredients: 1 package (18 1/4 ounces) banana cake mix plus ingredients to prepare mix as directed on box 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 package (6 serving size) instant butterscotch flavor pudding mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix as directed on box Clean small … Continue reading →

Obviously, organizing a rummage sale is not the only way to strengthen the parent-child bond. In fact, up until yesterday, I wouldn’t have even considered it as an option. However, it just goes to prove that you don’t have to take an expensive vacation or take off an entire week from work in order to make special memories with your son or daughter. If you are looking for easy and affordable ways to connect with your children during the Memorial Day weekend, consider these fun activities: DIY Chia Head: Hand out a Styrofoam or plastic cup to each of your … Continue reading →