Can you remember times when you were bored? I can; I can remember complaining to my mother that I “had nothing to do.” My sons never said that to me, but my older son said something that indicated he had once been bored. He had endured a long summer of boredom after I needed to have surgery in late June, just before school ended.
My older son suffered through a boring summer in 1988. One year later, in September of 1989, that same son made this observation: “Boy, the summer really went fast this year.” This article will examine some of the activities that came that young boy busy during the summer of 1989.
That summer began with a daily visit to the pool. I had enrolled both of my sons in swimming classes. My older boy learned to swim; my younger son learned not to be afraid of the water. A neighbor later taught my younger boy to swim. Both my sons enjoyed many hours at the pool in the succeeding summers.
After that week of swimming lessons, my older boy took part in a T-ball program. This kept him active, and exposed him to team sports. That fall he became the member of a soccer team.
The park in which my older son played T-ball had a small hut. My younger son used to ask about that hut. I learned from a friend that the city offered ceramics classes in that hut. I thought about having my boys take a ceramics class. At that point I learned an important lesson: A mother needs to coordinate her planned activities with the plans of her husband.
That summer, my husband decided to take us all on a trip to San Jose. That activity kept my boys occupied. It gave them a chance to visit San Francisco. The boys also joined another family for a cookout in the park. The cooking and preparation of food is an excellent activity at any time of the year. A cookout can always keep children busy during the summer.
A wise mother keeps plenty of aluminum foil on hand during the summer. When there is a cookout, children can wrap potatoes in the foil. Children will not only relish the chance to wrap potatoes, they will enjoy eating the cooked potatoes as well.
Now that my husband is a grandfather, he has found that his granddaughter loves his kabob. He has a small grill that in which he heats charcoal. Then he puts the seasoned meat on skewers, and he cooks the meat over the coals.
Other kitchen activities can keep children occupied on a rainy day. A mother might, for example, want to have her children make Jell-O cubes or Jell-O molds. She might want to make a simple dip, one in which the children can stick cut, raw vegetables. .
With all that activity, children who must remain indoors should remain busy until the sun shines.
