Seattle has had the WORLD'S CRAPPIEST summer. Seriously. A news story just came out and said we have had a total of 78 minutes, this summer, where the weather was 80+ degrees. PATHETIC.  At 12:23 pm, I have all the lights on in my house because it is SO DARK! Unbelievable.

Here is the upside to the crappy weather. My children get to stay in and do their school work.  That's right...their school work during the summer. I am that mean mother who believes that a child's mind must always be stimulated...and that school year round in the U.S. would not be a bad thing. NOW, I am not saying that school work needs to be all book work, or that a child needs to do summer work because it is the only way to STAY AHEAD. I am saying that a child's mind needs constant stimulation. That they are designed to learn about the world. That, just like any human being, some things come easier to them than others.

Summer is the perfect time to focus on:

1. Their areas that need extra emphasis. For one of my girls it is definitely reading comprehension. She reads at a high level, but needs to be given the tools to comprehend all that she is reading. For another daughter it is learning to be creative, and think outside the logic box. For another it is the need to learn how to focus for longer periods of time, regardless of her young age.

2. Their areas of strength. Children may not get to do what they LOVE the most in school. If your child leans towards the arts, an area that most public/private schools cut first when in a budget crisis, they can do more art, music, sculpture, creative writing, and simply DREAM more. If your child excels in math, you can stimulate their brains with higher level math and lots and lots and lots of LOGIC.

A lot of us think that we aren't qualified to teach our children or just plain are not good at it. I can tell you, for sure, that my children have learned how to swear from me... I am better than any school teacher they will ever get! Sometimes, long term patience (when one is not quick to pick up on the answer) is not my strong suit. SURPRISE!

In the summer, however, we truly are capable. Nothing has to follow state standards. Nothing has to be done, with the worry that you aren't covering all of your bases. You just have to engage in what your strengths are. If you love running, biking, hiking, reading, singing, cooking...then you can teach your kids in the summer. You can add math into all of the above. Talk about how you figure out your minute miles when you run. Talk about how you calculate angles, understand direction through a compass, while hiking. Use your cooking to talk about fractions, while measuring out your ingredients. Add chocolate chips to each pancake you make to talk about how multiplication is a faster form of addition. Four pancakes have four chocolate chips in them so 4x4=16. While singing, show your music and explain how fractions work in 8th and 16th notes.  REMEMBER, NO CHILD IS TOO YOUNG TO LEARN. You just need to adjust your lessons to what is developmentally appropriate, while still asking them to reach for the next level...IT IS MUCH EASIER THAN YOU THINK!

Have your children learn how to use workbooks at home, on their own. Assigning your children 1-2 pages a day in logic, math, comprehension and language books helps them to understand how to WORK ON THEIR OWN, without teacher help. It is inevitable that most of our children will have more than eight children in their classroom, and being able to do self work is important. I love GREEK and LATIN workbooks because our English language system is based on Greek and Latin roots (ask the dad in MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING if I am right on that :-)! ) Make sure they are also writing in a journal every day. NEVER correct their spelling or grammar in that journal. It is their journey to engage in. Reading a book every day is FANTASTICAL too! I always tell my girls, it is never about just getting through the book...the best book that they will ever read is one that they wish would NEVER end. It is about the magic, the mystery, the challenge. If you do not have a natural reader, keep trying a million different genres until you find the one that makes your child's eyes twinkle! It may not be what you like, but WHO CARES (as long as it is appropriate). Challenge your child's mind. If they are zipping through the books they are picking, ask them to pick one with a higher level. It may take them longer, but the point is not to be FAST but to LOVE READING and CHALLENGE their minds!

I also recommend a multitude of field trips. If you cannot take your children to the zoo, science museum, kids museum, farm, hikes, rivers, horse farm, sky diving etc. then send them to a camp. If you cannot pay for the camp, as is our case, get creative. Sometimes this helps to get your butt moving, and is the BEST motivator for you and your kids! It's always good for adults to stay young in spirit!

I know that this may not sound simple. I believe, however, that it is integral to your child's mind expansion. I EMPHASIZE that is is not about making your kid the brightest one in their classroom. This is about establishing a LIFE LONG LOVE OF LEARNING. The best learners may not be the one that scores the highest on their tests...they are the ones that LOVE every minute of learning. Not every subject, but love the idea that they are blessed with the opportunity to learn. What a gift... the opportunity to learn...to understand the world from a variety of perspectives.

Note: this is not a good mom/dad/parent vs bad mom/dad/parent thing. There is no reason to go all TEACHER'S PET and get all mad if a parent is already doing this and you aren't. YOU DO WHAT YOU CAN DO. What matches your abilities, schedules, lifestyles etc. My challenge to you is to not compare yourself with another person, but just run your own race. In the end, if you are out there simply running the race to educate and stimulate your child's mind then you are already a winner!