Overall we are a bit less structured until about 2 weeks before school begins again. That doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all! If we watch TV it’s in the AM instead of PM, so it’s not necessarily more TV. We lounge around more in the AM as well, so maybe our day doesn’t really begin until closer to 10 AM. Our eating doesn’t change that much. We do eat more “summer treats” like ice pops or fruit slushies, and we tend to eat lighter in general. For instance, for dinner we might serve just veggies and fruit/nuts with yogurt or similar type meals. The kids do go to bed later in the summer. During the school year they are in bed before 8 PM, but in the summer we stay up as late as 9 or 10 sometimes.

This time of summer when it is light out very late, it's difficult to adhere to the normal bedtime schedule, so I let the kids stay up a 1/2 hr to an hour later than usual. That way we can do fun things they can't do during the school year, like catching fireflies, watching fireworks, etc. It's a rule that they always must ask before any screen time (wii. ds, tv, etc.) and summer is no different. If they are asking for more than usual I suggest a different activity first. Summertime desserts are again things we don't do during the school year, like water ice and smores, but meals and snacks are the same at home.

I no longer have a little one around since my daughter is now grown and married (she's pregnant with our first grandchild!! whooo-hooo!) Anyway, when she was growing up we were definitely more "relaxed" about our daily schedule. However, we did have certain "summer rules of the household" that included exactly how much TV time she was allowed during the day - this included video game-play as well. I think the one thing that really worked for me was coming up with a ways to get her to be much more interested in outdoor nature and yard games versus sleeping in late and TV. IMO, it's important to stimulate children creatively by allowing them hands-on activities such as mud pie making and bug collecting (or butterfly catching was always a winner). Now, if your children are teenagers you will just have to put your foot down and allow only so much time for the TV and videos...then they must go outside and go bike riding or skateboarding, or even allow them to have their friends over for a game of neighborhood baseball or football, etc. The point is, is to keep them active and moving because teens get bored fast. Once my daughter turned 15, I insisted she had to get a part-time summer job------> that was not an option! But a strict bedtime hour usually was not enforced until about 2.5 to 3 weeks before school started. This is all JMO - every child is different.

We are definitely more relaxed around here during the summer - not a total free for all, but relaxed for sure. I have a philosophy that kids only have a short time to be kids and a finite amount of summers to enjoy so enjoy! I have to admit that we probably watch to much tv and play a little more Wii than we should, but I don't really stress over it. We go to the pool, play ball, take vacations, visit friends and have picnics, and do some day trips. We stay up late and catch fireflies and have backyard smores with neighbors. On a rainy day we may do a movie marathon and incoropate different things into the day regarding the movie - like having a knickerbocker or "butter beer"while watching Harry Potter Movies. Things we really can't do duing the school year. Like others mentioned above around 2 weeks before school starts, we will start getting back to a routine, to make it easier for them and me. Our way may not be for everyone, but it works for us!

We definitely loosen the rules too. My wife and kids and me are from the Ozarks originally. We love to go fishing down to Beltzville for catfish almost every night. During the school year we all split a six pack and a pack of smokes while we fish. Now that summer is here, I told the kids, you can each have your own six pack, but you still have to split the smokes. I don't want them getting cancer too young. My wife doesn't like it too much, but I bribed her with another tattoo. I told her, it's either a set of teeth or the tattoo. Wouldn't you know she opted for the tatt. Now my daughter wants a Tattoo too, but I told her she has to wait until she's at least twelve. She wants one at the base of her spine like Mommy has. So to make a long story short, we lighten up in the summer too. As soon as school starts again, they have to go back to brushing their teeth too. well, I hope ya'll enjoy the rest of the summer, i know we always do. I hope ya'll catch that big one you always dreamed about !!!

Bearing the view of a neutral party, I say mothers should indeed cut their child some slack in the summers. After all, school's out and everyone, including children, requires some form of relaxation. I think we can all agree that children would always be children; we can order them to not do something, but they would still do it anyway. Forcing or punishing them would do mothers no good because it'd ignite negative feelings and behaviour amongst the family. I believe both parties can meet each other halfway eg. children can be allowed to watch tv etc, as long as they adhere to their mother's rules or time limits.