It’s summertime and they need a break . . . .

Yes, summertime is coming and kids will be out of school and ready to find their way to the closest watering hole, amusement park, any ‘fun’ spot that they can get away from the ho hum of their school schedule.

And that’s what summer is all about. But, as a parent, you need to remember kids need structure.

Growing up as a child, it seemed like everything we did in the summer had a ‘lesson’ in it or a chore to be done before the ‘reward’ came. This became vividly clear to me when I saw a ‘Summer Rules’ on social media recently. I am sure every child of a parent who says “Mrs. Mader says” before giving out the house rules is thinking, “Oh croak, what mess do I have to do now?” 

This is pretty much on the money. Most children should sleep eight hours a night, you’ve heard that since you were old enough to understand what was being said to you. That being said, all I am doing is adding another two hours to accomplish what is in the ‘Summer Rules’. 

This is for kids of any age also, not just young ones, not just the older ones.  It starts with simple rules, things that children should know by the age of three – unfortunately adults don’t always know these rules but THEY SHOULD.  Have you: Made your bed? Brushed your teeth? Brushed your hair (maybe not 100 times but at least give it some extra care)? Gotten dressed?  Had breakfast? 

Very simple so no excuses on those please. Now for the ‘extra’ things that come under ‘It’ll make you a better person, believe me’.  Have you: Had 20 minutes of reading?  Have you had 20 minutes of writing or coloring – age dependent?

Have you cleaned up one room in the house you share?  Have you played outside for 20 minutes or if you’re old, have you walked, ran, or jogged for 20 minutes? Have you made or built something creative? This can be a meal, a dessert, a play fort with pine straw, anything YOU make. Have you helped someone in the family?

 Think about that last one really hard. Think outside the box. If you’ve cleaned one room in the house, then you’ve helped someone. So, before you frown, realize there are simple ways to achieve the above, give yourself a good feeling, earn brownie points with parents/grandparents, and make an impression – a good impression.

If, after you have completed all of the things I just suggested, then you can use electronics – limited time of course!  If you know me, you know this is monumental for me – to say that for doing what you should normally be doing, you get a reward. 

Back in the day, we did those things with NO reward, but because it was expected – that and a whole lot more. That’s not to say we did not have a life, we did. We had lots of good times doing things that are now just a memory. Chasing lightning bugs and putting them in a jar to see several of them light at one time, playing ‘Mother May I,’ ‘Red Light, Green Light,’ ‘Simon Says,’ ‘Tag,’ ‘Red Rover’. 

All of these games are a distant memory and have never been heard of by children of today unless they’re played at school or in daycare or in M’s case, has an older than dirt parent. I am not out and about as often as I used to be, but that being said, as I drive here and there, I don’t see kids outside in the early evening hours, don’t see them during the daylight hours either.

That bothers me. Obesity is at an all-time high (and yes, I’m well aware that I’m not a prime example of those games NOT helping with my weight issues) but I have to think that those games did help me in so many ways. It gave a sense of team play at a very early age and that team spirit has been a part of my entire life. You see kids now who play organized sports change teams more often than a new mom changes a diaper.

Heaven forbid what their employment history is going to look like. I can’t stress enough that the habits formed as a child transfer to adulthood and truly more often than you think. And ask any professional player or college level player of a team sport and they will tell you what a difference a team player makes versus an individual player.

They will tell you that oftentimes they will ‘settle’ for less talent to achieve a team player and the team will be the benefactor of that.

Interaction is the key to getting along not only on the playing field, but in the workplace and rest assured I will go to my grave arguing that you can’t learn that from ELECTRONICS!

You can’t learn that from conversations through text or a computer screen. Those things are learned from day-to-day interaction, verbal conversations with friends, co-workers, teammates, and the list goes on.

A text is not the way to bond with anyone, be it a co-worker, teammate, or classmate. That can only be done through verbal communication – something that is leaving this world at an alarming speed.

Take a moment with your children, let them know how important it is to verbally converse throughout the school or work day.

I’ll bring this to a close with something I was made privy while writing this ‘rant’ – a parent that I can only assume thought it was ‘cute’ put on social media, Olivia’s text to me – ‘Mom, I want mac and cheese for supper tonight with the dinosaur chicken nuggets and nothing else.”

The parent added, “Isn’t that the cutest, she’s in her room and text me in the kitchen!”

Yes, I’m old but I fail to see much humor in that – it rates right up there with the parents who justify their children’s choices of not eating this or that because of ‘texture’.

When I grew up, texture referred to material – you know that cloth that you make clothes, curtains, etcetera. And that’s Prissie’s take this week.