Children spend most of their school year learning required skills. By the time summer gets here, they need to focus on fun. Here are a few ways you can incorporate learning into their fun activities.

Learning never ceases during the course of our lifetime. So too, kids need to be motivated to learn as much as they can, even during summer recess. Summer fun and learning can co-exist. Here are some examples of how this can be achieved.

Word games, such as Scrabble, come in small sizes, which are suitable for beach and road trips. Kids love it! It stimulates their vocabulary and engages them in friendly competition. It also enhances their math skills, as they have to add the points every round. Boggle is another portable word game that kids love. They can manipulate the letters, make words, and add up points. This is a great game to take on a camping trip or to the beach.

There are board games that allow the kids to work on words and sentences. There are computer games, which involve critical thinking. These games can be competitive, and reinforce group work, and cooperative learning, as well. Using these types of games keeps the stimulation of the kid’s minds at work. It’s critical to keep the thought processes flowing, so they are prepared for the following school year. In playing these games, they can also be taught to accept defeat gracefully.

Another board game, which involves critical thinking, is checkers. The entire family can challenge each other. This promotes social stimulation. Suduko is a game involving math and numbers. They have a kid’s version, which can be utilized on a rainy day or when there is some down time.

The advantage of utilizing and playing these games is learning, even though the kids do not realize it. In this way, while they are having fun over the summer, they are actually preparing for the fall term. Learning not only stimulates their minds, but also reinforces the skills they are taught throughout the school year. In addition, there are some great sites for computer savvy kids you might want to look at. They are funbrain.com, math.com, and abcteach.com.

Summer fun and learning can co-exist by utilizing these games and word play. Without realizing it, your kids will be ready for the next phase in their school career, because time was taken to teach and have fun at the same time.

To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk Guide to Raising Happy & Healthy Kids – Tips and resources address nutrition, exercise, sleep, routines, and much more.

Besides driving, dating is the one thing that every parent of a teen dreads. All sorts of wild ideas go through our heads when we think of our teenage son or daughter out on a date. If they are ready to date, we have to let them go, but not without a few guidelines.

At some point in their lives, teens will begin to show an interest in the opposite sex. Girls are ready before boys, but they soon catch up. Eventually they will ask you when they are allowed to go out on a date.

Remember, you have the advantage here. Teenagers know nothing about the social graces of dating. Like most other things, this behavior has to be learned. It’s better if they learn it from you than from their friends.

A teen can invite a guy or girl over for what I call a “house” date at the age of fourteen if they are ready. For this type of date, the teen has the security of being home without their parents spying on them.

Teach your child to respect others. Being respectful of the other person goes a long way to having a successful date. If a young man treats other women with the same respect that he shows his mother and sisters, he is ready to give dating a try.

Dating without a chaperone should wait until the teen is at least sixteen. At this time, a teen is capable of driving themselves and can pick up their date. If they have shown the responsibility needed to drive the car, they can try their hand at dating.

A person’s outer being is what we come in contact with first. But, this isn’t the only part of a person. Set an example of not judging a book by its cover. Going on a date is not about having sex, but about getting to know another human being.

Teens that have trouble communicating their feelings may not be ready for dating. Teach your teen how to speak up for themselves and make their desires known. When they don’t desire to have sex or to even kiss the other person, they shouldn’t be afraid to say, “NO!”

Only you know how you have raised your son or daughter. If you have taught them to value the opinions of others, to treat others like they want to be treated, and to abhor violence, then trust their judgment. Teens will make mistakes, but let them know you will still be there for them.

Dating is not an exact science. Encourage your teen not to get involved too deeply with the first person that they date. If they have questions, answer them without finding fault.

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