Well it is almost here.  That time of year where we have waited all winter long for. To get out and enjoy this beautiful area we call West Michigan.  Schools are out and the kids are just itching to get outside (not itching from the poison ivy like me.)  Summer is the time of year our kids get rejuvenated, they get their batteries charged up from being cooped up in a school, drained from all the academia, the sports, the homework, dance lessons, and anything else they have on their plate to keep them occupied and well rounded through out the year. 

            Parents you have this great opportunity to let your kid be a kid and enjoy this time of year together.  Some of a child’s fondest memories are the times spent with parents camping.  Whether it is at a camp ground, the rented cottage at the lake, or just a tent set up in the back yard with a campfire and smores.   Myself the fondest memory was camping at Pats Place in Mesick Michigan.  We looked like the Griswalds from Family Vacation, with a Plymouth Fury packed to the rim with food for 4 people for two weeks,  two dogs, two kids, a car top carrier and towing a pop up camper with a boat on top because dad was to cheap to rent one. 

            We have so much at our fingertips to explore in our great state that the term “I’m bored” should not exist.  For parents this time for our kids is a time to make new adventures, be creative, make new friends, and just have fun.  Yes there is yard work, sports camps, and drivers training to get through, but if you can really think back to your summers as a kid they were the best when you could just be a kid and get outside and explore.  Now I know this may sound old school but leave the electronics at home, in the car, or somewhere so that it does not create a distraction for your time with these kids. 

            There are numerous state and county parks, libraries that have all kinds of summer programs, YMCA’s that have things for the kids to do, visit a farm, or a local zoo.  Museums, Fredrick Meijer Gardens, county fairs, not to mention all the small towns that have local festivals going on.  So please shut off the electronics and get outside and enjoy this summer time with your child.  Time is something you cannot get back.

Mark Holloway, MA, LLPC