Back when I rode a dinosaur to school and Moses was my classmate, summer vacation meant one thing: my mother would wake me up at 8 a.m. and kick me out of the house, cackling maniacally as she locked the door behind her. Now, I certainly don't want to repeat the mistakes of my mother, because who would want their kids to turn out like me? (Answer: no one.) But I'm often struggling with ideas to keep them busy. I mean, it's not like I lived in a macaroni-crafts house, and let's be honest, I'm not smart.

But I have learned a few things in my 10 years of parentage. Namely, what NOT to do with my kids this summer. Or Ever.

Anyone who has ever flown on an airplane with children knows how awful it can be to walk down that aisle, kids in tow. The death glares and sighs are reason enough to make any parent not want to fly. Ever. Of course that is not always practical. The blog Ohdeedoh features an amazing idea -- favor bags prepared ahead of time for every passenger your baby might annoy. It is genius, really. On them, there could be little tags thanking people who sat around you. On the website, the example is: "She may be good, she may be bad, we're sorry if she makes you mad." Who could possibly be mad after that? The site suggests candies in little bags, but some other awesome ideas for your fellow passengers might include the following:

The mercury is rising, and the pool is open. So who's placing bets on how long it takes for the kids to start in on the mantra of summer? Five days before the first "I'm bored"? Maybe we'll make it a whole week?

It seems even fresh pool water could use a pick-me-up after a few days. How about a modern twist on some classic pool games to drive the cranky out of the kids and help you retain your summer sanity?

It's that time of year when you sit down at the dining room table and start the same old argument with your significant other. The one I like to call "No, I don't wanna go there again. We went there laaaaast year." Ever notice that just TALKING about your family's summer road trip makes you sound like your kids when you're actually ON said road trip?

To borrow a classic phrase from my childhood or, well, Vanilla Ice, "stop, collaborate, and listen!" Throw out his list. Throw out your list. It's time to start fresh. I'm talking a list of family-friendly summer road trip destinations you've probably never heard of, but SHOULD visit:

A ticket to chill.Think back to when you were a kid. One of the best things I did was go to the movies with my friends. Good bonding, good movies, and even better -- free AC. The colder, the better. (I am from Florida ...)

With the heat wave that is making New York and the rest of the country feel like a sauna, it sure seems like the time to take a hint from kids and hit the theater.

Angelina Jolie's new movie Salt is playing and so is Ramona and Beezus. Two really great choices. And, if you haven't yet seen Inception, that's a good one to catch too. But movies aren't cheap, especially if there's a family to consider. Cheap movie tickets would sure be nice.

Here are our LearnVest tips to save money at the movies.

We've just emerged from a massive heat wave on the East Coast and it's been hard for all of us to stay cool, but for those of us sporting big bellies, it can be even worse.

Why?

Pregnant women require additional fluids during pregnancy anyway and during the summer months, it can be easy to become dehydrated without even knowing it. Dehydration can cause contractions, which in turn can cause the premature delivery of the baby.

The reason is that dehydration causes a loss of blood volume, which increases the concentration of oxytocin, the hormone that causes contractions.

It's way too hot to light up the stove for more than a quick boil or saute. Yet the family still clamors for food every single night. What's up with that?

Luckily The New York Times has 101 suggestions on what to make for dinner when you're short on time and patience. (This heat does make one snappy.)

From vegetarian fare to red meat, I'm bookmarking this list and making a grocery list. Ahhh, summer cooking just got a heck of a lot cooler.

The summer sun may be shining brightly, but the summer sales are already underway. It's time to watch for great summer deals, especially on seasonal items, and get a huge bang for your buck.

If this summer's heat waves have you and the kids feeling cranky and sweating up a storm, here are five great deals on summer water play products from Amazon, BackyardCity.com, Sears, and Modell's.