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.
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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 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'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?
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.
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?
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.

The overheated kid in the car story comes up every summer and makes me want to cry.