A lot of people sent me in answers for this one! Here's

what they had to say:

- Have a picnic in your backyard

Maureen Kowal, Bolton, ON

- Read on a porch swing

- Visit the library

- Bike everywhere (take a bike ride to the nearest park and

visit the beach)

- Read one book a week that is approved by Mom, and do

some homework every week

- Have friends over

Tricia Goyer, author of From Dust to Ashes,

www.thegoyers.com/dustandashes

- Swimming lessons

- Join the reading program at the library

- Outing every week (museum, berry picking, etc.)

Lelia Marshall, California

- Reader Melanie Marshall makes sure that her 13-year-old

son volunteers at various community activities, whether

it's at a local special needs camp or at Vacation Bible

School. "Since he is too young for employment in retail

jobs, etc., these practice jobs are perfect", she says.

- Use outings as rewards for good behaviour. Last summer

we went to the library two times a week.

It was earned by good behavior. But this year we

wanted something that would get the kids out - and

give a daily incentive to be good! We have a variety

of parks in our rural neighborhoods - although each is

quite a drive. If they earn it (both of them), I

drive them over. If I'm feeling social, I join them

on the playground, maybe walk a bit to relieve my own

stress. If I'm having a bad hair day, I choose a park

when I can sit close by my car and read a book.

It's only been about three weeks - but it's worked so

far. For us, part of the agreement is that (with a

two-minute warning) we leave without fussing.

Otherwise, we lose the trip for the next day.

Works for us!

Annette Dammer, author of Teen Light magazine,

www.teenlight.org, and for aspiring writers,

check out www.writershelper.org

Here's one of my favourite responses. I really want to live

at this woman's house (it sounds idyllic):

"We live out in the country. We get a small pool and the

kids have a tree house and a trampoline and sand pile.

We take short-range field trips to town or to Muskogee

or Tulsa when we need to get away from the house (local

museums, flea markets, hobby lobby, book stores, etc.). Or we go

visiting. We have a collection of audio books for rainy or

too hot days. We go to the library and check out about

50 books every 2 weeks. We don't have a TV set, so

reading is more of a hobby here. After supper, we work

in the garden or relax outside. We sit in the lawn chairs or

play Frisbee with Dad. My kids get up early. They rarely

sleep past 7:30. We keep popsicles and allow one at 10

and one at 2. The kids are required to help with chores

daily too. I think kids can entertain themselves if they

are not too addicted to being entertained by TV, parents

or computers. I make a fun list of things they can do if they

feel bored and post that on the bulletin. Work also relieves

boredom. Today, the kids are riding bikes, swimming and

getting their tent set up to camp out tonight. We'll

have a little campfire after supper and toast marshmallows.

Elece Hollis, Oklahoma, mother of 7

Here's another great idea:

"One of the things I've done with the kids since they

were tiny is to buy them a brand new blank book each

summer (typically on the first day of summer holidays,

we take a trip to the stationery store, and I let them

each pick out their own with a decorative hard cover.)

These become their journals - and they have to write in

them every day. When the kids were tiny, I had them colour

a picture each day, and I would add their dictated caption.

As they got older, I asked them to write one sentence,

then one paragraph, finally "at least one page".

Now, consistency has always been a problem. In spite of

my best intentions, we seem to keep up our journals only

very sporadically over the summer (we start out great, but

I'd say we wind up averaging a couple of times a week by

the time September rolls around). But the kids save all

their journals, and they love looking back over them.

I also find this is a great time to work with them a bit

on their spelling and penmanship!

Patricia Paddey, Toronto, ON

Finally, a number of people suggested berry picking and

gardening, both of which are big over at my house, too!

From the July 2003 edition of To Love, Honor and Vacuum newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

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