I turned over my calendar to the month of May and found something written on one of the days that shocked me:
Play outdoors in May during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
Photo © Apryl Duncan
"Last Day of School"
Is another school year really about to be in the books? I feel like I was just shopping for school supplies yesterday.
On that last day of school, I'll be parading my older son around town to collect free stuff for good grades. Then what?
Fortunately, there are loads of fun things to do with kids in May. From food to fitness, we'll have plenty of activities to keep us busy until the school bell rings signaling the beginning of another school year.
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Enjoy a moment for yourself.
Photo © Juzant Productions / Getty Images
It's almost that time. Time to say hello to warmer weather and, gasp!, goodbye to another school year. Soon the kids will toss their backpacks into the closet to collect dust during the summer months and you'll spend every waking moment trying to keep them entertained. Savor this time while they're still in school and put your feet up while you can. See what's new on the About.com Stay-at-Home Moms site in this month's Moment for Mom:
New Articles:
- Covering Your Employment Gap
Scared of that gaping hole in your resume where you've taken time off to raise children? Fix it now before you try to re-enter the workforce.
- House Cleaning Schedule
Scrub away that feeling that you're the family maid. Use a house cleaning schedule that keeps your house clean and works in some much needed "me-time" for you.
- Make an Alphabet Book
Introduce your children to letter recognition and phonics when you make an alphabet book together.
- Best Parenting Tips
You've probably heard it all but which nuggets of parenting advice have you received that have helped you?
- Host a Peanuts-Themed Party
Snoopy and the gang take center stage. Plan a Snoopy party that won't soon be forgotten.
- Things to Do in April with Your Family
Play indoors or out. Find fun things to do with your family in April.
- Must-Know Packing Tips for Kids
What should your child have in her suitcase? These essentials make traveling with kids a breeze.
Read More...A friend and I were at a coffee shop recently and my friend noticed the guy in line next to us had a wallet with my home state imprinted on it. I was 2,000 miles from home so I just had to find out the story behind the wallet.
Talk to your kids now so they'll be ready should they find themselves in dangerous situations later.
Photo © Flying Colours Ltd / Getty Images
Yes, my mommy taught me not to talk to strangers but I find myself doing it all the time. I live in a friendly city where people strike up a conversation with you over the weather, the hot news of the day or the cute kids you're walking hand in hand with through the store.
When it comes to me walking up to a stranger and initiating a conversation, though, I would never do it with my children around. I thought of this as my friend and I, both of us without children that day, talked to this guy at the coffee shop.
Teaching your children not to talk to strangers is difficult when they see you doing the very thing they're told they should never do. They have to understand the difference between Mom or Dad talking to a stranger vs. a stranger approaching them, regardless of the setting.
Raise street smart kids who are prepared for dangerous situations. Take a non-scary approach that helps them be more observant of their surroundings, know who they should and shouldn't talk to and easily be able to get help if they need it.
I'm using these same methods with my five year old and now he's telling me, "Don't talk to strangers, Mommy." Sounds like good advice.
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It won't be long until the school bell rings one last time and the kids will be ditching books and homework for another memorable summer. Before the three-month break arrives on your doorstep with no plan in place, get all of your summer camp questions answered in the
free summer camp guide and explore the many
summer camp options available for your children.
It's time to start thinking about summer camps for your kids.
Photo © Camp Warren / Flickr
This will be my five year old's first summer attending camp. He's not quite ready for the big leagues of
overnight camp but he's still excited about having fun, learning something new and making more friends.
His first stop will be a week of Vacation Bible School a few hours a day. A couple of weeks later, he'll spend a week at zoo day camp.
We'll fill in the rest of our summer spending plenty of quality time together as well as enjoying some of the free summer programs available in our area. Before we know it, the kids will be back in school and another summer will be in the books.
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