I noticed my 5 yr old was acting naughty and talking back.  My other kids at times were not responding or acting very nicely.  I decided to box up the xbox and all the games.  My 5yr old was becoming addicted and acted up if he couldn't play.  The others did the minimmum to help so they could play. 

These are the changes for the Summer:

Computer time is about 45 min. once a day and the rest of the day you can figure out yourself.  TV viewing is one hour on netflix or a movie as a family. Then it's off.  I figure when it gets super hot, computer and TV time can start.  Before and after that is on your own.  we also have lessons scheduled in the AM after lessons.  They can play outside or get chores done. 

The kids are not so happy the xbox is gone but to my amazement they spend lots of time outside, the whole point. 

What can they do:

Read, color, play nintendo DS, school library down the street once a week, go outside, ride your bike,and if you are really bored and annoying me you can have extra chores.

  We have one activity a week outside the home: indoor pool $9 the whole family, free festivals in town, free school lunches/ playground once a week, family camping, outdoor pool (using free passes or buy one get one free or it's too expensive for our family of 7).

I love my kids but the transition can be a challenge at times.

Carmina

good plan!   kids get grumpy time to boot them outside.

besides playing in the backyard/our many parks with friends (most have spray water parks in them)  one has a petting zoo too.  the parks normally park and rec leaders that have crafts,games etc.  library has summer reading club plus crafts, activities etc.

the church that moms group is in has free kids drop in 2x a week..so free babysitting :) and fun for the kids.plus vac. bible camp.   signed up ds for a week of ice skating lessons..not normal here in the summer but they are doing it and ds can use his skates more.

both signed up for a morning 4day craft/drawing class.  plus there will be swimming lessons, free festivals, maybe another vac bible camp at the end of august.

the museum here is having once a week craft afternoon  to learn to tat, knit etc. different thing each time.

plus we have the pool from last year to put up and maybe we will get a trampoline.

we put the pool up last weekend.. we live in new hampshire so its still a bit chilly to me in the morning but all weekend long the kids were in the pool by 11 and they played in it off and on until about 7 at night... i love that we bought them one last year even my son will play in it.. we do alot of backyard camping we open up the camper and we sleep in it the kids can either sleep in their bunks or in a tent.  we spend the majority of the weekend and once school is out the summer in the back yard.. we save our change and loose bills all year to take them on a two week camping trip to a state park here in new hampshire twice a summer. our first trip will be june 30 to july 13 and the second one will be latter august!  other than that we dont do alot of away from home activities... we just recieved a 500 dollar walmart card from one of the organizations my son gets therapy for.  it was his summer allotment of funds.. i used it to order the kids a swingset so they will have that to play on also.  we will do fishing activities and they have the veggie garden to work in when they get bored... they will be allowed 1 hour total a day for either computer or playstation!  and maybe 2 hours an evening for television.  thats atleast what i am planning...

We bought passes to the city pool and to a local amusement park for the summer so we can go as many times as we want though August, taking our own food.  The amusement park is open weekends also in Sept & Oct.

Roberta 

 

I am going to sign up for the adult reading group at my library. Now that my arm is feeling better, I can go back to doing needlepoint again. There are some sit and stitch groups fairly close to my house.

Each Wed. & Thurs. DD is going to the library reading program and the park lunch program, respectively. 

Last week she did VBS at a church 2 blocks away (invited by one of her best friends) from 5-9 each night; this included dinner & clean up time b/c the friend's mom was also a volunteer and transported DD.  The closing program for this was this past Friday and it was AWESOME!!!

Play dates are fun.  I wish I could go to some of them, but I work.  Oftentimes, friends will call up DH and ask if they can pick DD up for a couple of hours.  As long as we know them pretty well, then of course it's okay.

DD is going to spend 1 week in NC with her bio-dad & family.  And she will go to VA for about 2 weeks at the end of July to see her grandparents and aunt.  I don't even know if DD will be around to do VBS for the church we are involved with....

On the days she is home, DD plays outside in the morning for an hour or two when it's coolest.  The dog is outside at this time, too.  About 10:00 a.m. they come inside and DD is usually granted an hour or so of t.v. if her behavior has been acceptable.  We are really working hard this summer on improving some bad habits (interrupting, arguing, not listening the first time).  Then it's lunch and then playtime in her bedroom; playtime can, and often does, include dad, reading, arts & crafts, etc.  She will also help her dad around the house with "projects" (dusting, dishes, gathering recycling, etc.).  I'm home around 3 or 4 and sometimes we spend some time reading before I make dinner.  She usually goes with me to walk the dog in the evenings when it's cool again (around 8:00 or so).

DD has a $10 gc from WM that she got for her birthday in March.  I've been holding on to it for her and will take her shopping in July to get something new to play with.  There are 2 weeks in July where the novelty of being on summer break will have worn off and the anticipation of the "next big thing" (her trip to VA) will be setting in; this will give her something new to focus on for a few days.

we recieved a 500 dollar wm giftcard from one of the state organization my son accesses. it was to be used for anything he wanted to enjoy the summer with.  we looked around for a swingset there and the one he wanted was 600 which meant we would need to add 100 of our own money which was not possible!  so we looked online and he found one he likes better and his sister loves also for 500 normally 600.  since we had it shipped to the local store it cost us nothing for shipping and we didnt have to add any of our own money.  we ordered it and put it together after about 4 days.  they love it already!  so between then pool and swingset we wont need to go to any parks or anything this year.  and if you have a special needs child you know sometimes taking them anywhere to play can cause alot of havoc!  they want a trampoline so that might be next years addition to the back yard.  they have already been camping alot in my back yard this summer!  school ends on tuesday and thursday here for the kids.. which will be fun for them! and to make it even a more hectic summer i believe my daughters cat is going to have kittens.  they are all excited i am thinking why didnt i get her fixed already!  luckily we know the daddy is my sons cat so as soon as the kittens are here they will both be going to the vet for a little snip snip action!

cool deal that way kids get more activities in stead of sitting on thier keysters playing computer games I might have done that when that hit in summer when O. was younger.

I run a daycare so will have 14 kids all summer. We will walk to the park and pool if the weather is nice. They serve free lunch in the park to kids so most days we will eat there. Onemorning a week, the book mobile will come to my houseto read to the kids. Then an art teacher will do a project with the kids. I am blessed to get this program. It is all free. Borders is doing a summer program. I kids read 10 books and an adult signs a form, theyget a free book at Borders in Aug. WE will do that too. Rainy days are the worst. But movies, computer games and legos. Babs

Will be working and craft and reading to dh he now cannot see out of his right eye so he ask me to read to him and going to the liabrary to get audio books for him and will learn how to sew off a machine cool for me cindy is doing afgans  again