It’s A Grand Life – School’s Out For Summer – Almost!

I love this time of year. The weather is warming up but hasn’t gotten to the “ugh, it’s so hot” stage. Meetings of organizations and clubs are winding down and, soon, children will be out of school for the summer. For some parents, summer vacation is something they look forward to around February. Mornings mean starting the day when the children wake up without the sound of an alarm clock. It’s a time to slow down and recharge, take a trip or two to visit friends or relatives, go to the beach or mountains, or just be spontaneous.

I was fortunate to have those days at home with our girls. We belonged to a club that was very close to our home. Each girl took swimming lessons at an early age and joined the swim team as soon as she could. After practice, the days were free to do whatever suited their fancy. The only definite plan made was our annual trip to Florida to visit grandparents. This was a wonderful vacation. My sister and nieces usually came with us, and my parents were in heaven having their daughters and granddaughters all together under their roof. As the girls aged, some changes came to summer plans, but wonderful memories were always made.

My daughters have been fortunate enough to be home with their children when school is out of session. It made me wonder what they would do with their kids, especially over long breaks like Christmas, spring break and summer if they worked full time. I assume if they had always held a full time job that arrangements would have been made well in advance. For those new to the workforce, where do they turn?

If you are the one they turn to, there are some options that may make it easier for you and fun for the children. If you need time in the day for your own activities, check into day camps that may have openings that work with your schedule. Some may offer morning and/or afternoon sessions. Often, these camps have several weekly themes for different age groups. The children have fun, make new friends and have new experiences to share, while you have a few hours to run errands, go for brunch with friends or just relax. Is there a pool nearby? Maybe it’s time for some swim lessons. Do they want to learn to play tennis or another sport? Check your church to see if they are having a vacation Bible school that aligns with the time your grandchildren will be with you.

Whether you are keeping your grandchildren at your home or theirs, have some ideas of things to do or places to go to make it an enjoyable time. What are they into? If it’s art, have paper, markers, crayons and/or paint. Make salt dough with which they can sculpt. Have a selection of age-appropriate board or card games. Work a puzzle together. Have a fun cooking class making their favorite cookies. On nice days, croquet or badminton is a great way to get some fresh air. Whatever you do or wherever you go, just keep in mind that this is their summer vacation. You don’t have to be on the go all the time, but when they go back to school, it would be nice for them to be able to have a lot to write about for the “what I did on summer break” essay.

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Susan Woodall

Forsyth Magazines writer since 2011. Originally from Washington, DC, Susan now calls Winston-Salem home. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in journalism and spent a term at Christ Church College, Oxford University. Susan and her husband, JC, have three daughters, Erin, Britton, and Meghan (who is Forsyth Magazines’ senior staff writer.) She loves working with her daughter, Meghan, as well as the Forsyth Magazines’ staff. Susan relishes her role of grandmother and caring for her two rescue pups – Duncan and Matilda. She loves to travel and on a recent trip visited China and climbed the Great Wall. “It is a privilege to work on these wonderful publications and to write such a variety of articles,” said Susan.

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