Our daughter is 6, and she was bored within a couple of weeks of the end of school I think. There's lots doing in August, though, so we'll keep her occupied. Canal Days in Port Colborne is always a hit. We're going to the Erie County Fair in Western New York in a couple of weeks, visiting nanna and poppa for a few days, and she wants to go tot he Museum in Toronto to see the dinosaur bones. There's also VBS at the church, but I think we're going to be out of town for that.

I've noticed a trend, though, that begins in mid to late August. There's usually an increase in loud and boisterous (and possibly intoxicated)  teenagers at 2 or 3 in the morning and sometimes vandalism. Boredom shows itself in many forms.

Rev Steven Davis - when does Canal Days happen?  We visited Port Colbourne in June & found it to be a rather charming town ... with great beach nearby!  And people there spoke very positively about Canal Days ...

We used to send our kids off to camp for the last two weeks of August ... it was a good time, as some boredom was usually setting in by then.   We took a bit of family vacation in July, so that broke that month up a bit.

I hear you about the teens - we live adjacent to an LCBO - there are certain times of the year - when the weather warms up -  when the youth start hanging about on the curb - trying to muster up courage to venture in or ask someone to buy goods for them.   We've had a recent increase in graffiti appearing in our small area. 

Alas, you just missed Canal Days. It's always the Civic Holiday weekend. It's always fun. Lots to do for kids. The fireworks on Sunday night (around 10-10:30) are an absolute must-see. Our daughter loves the ferris wheel at the mouth of the Canal, there's a small carnival with rides just south of the Library on King Street, lots of buskers, food, vendors, etc. Come next year by all means!

Now I must send my bill to the City for this shameless promotion!

Okay then ... next year it is!!  Canal Days extravaganza!!

Don't tell me that summer is almost over!!!  Waaaaaah!  I'm a teacher and I'd much rather be hanging out with my own little dorkbutt.

It's going well for us. My stepson is in South Korea and won't be back until September. Let the good times roll!

Nice break for you and your wife, Jae, and probably a great trip for your son.  Doesn't his brother live in Korea?

Granddaughter is busy, busy.  No family vacation this year - but day trips to the family cottage.  Lots and lots of invites to join her friend's families on short trips.  She just got back from L's family cottage on the coast, went to dance class, then off camping at Kouchibiquak Provincial Park with another friend's family for the rest of the week.  It's been like that all summer.  Plus she had a week at the UCC Camp Woolastook for teen camp, and she will spend the final week of vacation as a junior volunteer at Vacation Bible School, held jointly this year with our church and a neighbouring UCC. 

Grandson hasn't been so far afield and that's suited him just fine.  Two sessions of swimming lessons - each five days a week for two weeks.  Lots of invitations for play-dates or day trips with friends, time with both sets of grandparents.  We haven't managed the day trip to see the Hopewell Rocks yet.  And I've learned that this is a good time to go whale watching out of St. Andrews - again close enough for a day trip.  And he's going to Vacation Bible School for a week.  He's not going to be bored.   And he's accomplished his summer goal of learning to ride his bike. 

Now if we could get him to practice his printing - and keep up his reading ???

i actually love being at home with my kids during the summertime, and am just as sad to see them go back to school in the fall as they are!!

in fact, today we have a 'summer adventure day' planned with the kids and all their friends... we have a huge area wide scavenger hunt planned, as well as team face painting and 'fear factor/ survivor' type challenges. 

not to mention popcorn, lemonade, icecream and cookies...

i love my kids haging around!!

My girl is back in school in about two weeks. The halfway point was quite a while ago.

Jon - why does school start mid-August?  Is this the norm in your part of the world?

In this province, in some areas, school will be starting mid-August (two weeks ahead of the regular time) and closing for two weeks in Octobeer.  This is so the youth can help with the potato harvest. 

I love summer with the kids.  Each day can be as busy or relaxed as you need it to be.

Sitting and watching the bees and the leaves swaying is good for the soul and the mind

I love summer holidays.  I love the lack of structure and the fact that I don't have to hit the ground running in the morning.  I love hanging out by our community pool and hosting bbq's.  I am always sad when it winds down.

All that being said by kids are definately hitting that mid-summer boredom.  There have been numerous debates (?!?!) about how unfair my one hour of video games rule (anytime, even in the summer) might be.  They argue that when all their friends are in day-camp or on holidays there is nothing else to do but to play video games.  I point out that I will happily take them the library, there is a jigsaw puzzle on the go, and there is mulch that needs to be spread. 

We are camping the last ten days of August so that will help.  They love this annual camping trip with four other families (Killbear Prov. Park).  After that there is one week of holidays and then back to school.  

When they tell me they are bored I am very quick to point out that their boredom is their  problem, not mine.  While they might be loathe to admit it, they will be happy to return to school, structure, school year activities and friends.

My son has had one week away camp and one and a half weeks of daycamp.  This is the last year that he can go to daycamp so we are saving our pennies to send him to two weeks away camp next year.  It's actually cheaper to send him away than to the specialized camps that they have for teens.  He has next week off then another week of daycamp then I have my vacation, woot!  We're not going away but hope to have some daytrips to the beach and Oaklawn Zoo or Shubie wildlife park, I've heard that they now have a lady moose and the moose are my favorite.  

Yes, that's right. His brother, bio-Dad, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. I'm sure he's having a great time. I think he likes Korea more than Canada.

 Our house gets really hot, the upstairs especially.  We can't get to sleep before 1PM and with the help of fans. (No air.) So we are on 'summer hours'.  Go to sleep late, get up late.  Just kind of rolling with nature. 

I agree with the others that say they love having the kids home for the summer.  While there are moments (I won't lie to ya) that I think "How many more days???", the majority of the time I am embracing unstructured days, BBQ dinners, lunches that are not packed in lunch containers and more flexible bedtimes.

Busydaughter is babysitting for me this summer, so I don't even have to rush everyone out the door on my workdays.  Heavenly.

All three kids were playing travel soccer so much of June and July has been spent on the soccer field (20 days/evenings in July)  That was a busy but wonderful time.  Two of my three went to camp for a week (two separate weeks/ same UCC church camp) and enjoyed it very much.  The are all at Peacemakers Day Camp this week (busy daughter is a LIT and the boys are participating).  Then they'll be taking swimming lessons for 2 weeks.  One more week of VBS at a local church and then I get a week of holidays.  We will be going camping.

And today, I am proud to tell Jae especially, my three enjoyed a 15 minute water play in Grandma's backyard with the sprinkler and a slip and slide.  They had a blast and Grandma and I had a nice glass of lemonade, on her verandah enjoying the screams of excitement from a safe distance.  Aaaaahhhhh summer!

I love the relaxed pace of summer too.

carolla, it's neat that you are interested - are you fondly remembering the days when your children were younger and around in the summers ....

mystchild was at a UCC camp for almost a week early in the summer and loved it. He also was at a daycamp with a friend for a week doing drama in the morning and swimming in the pm. He's had down time as well and just hanging out time with us and/or friends etc.

We are currently visiting family in Saskatoon - road trip!  We'll do some camping on our way back to BC next week and then spend a week at Naramata Centre. Just the other day (before he spent 3 days up at his cousin's place north of here) my son told me that he couldn't wait to get back to school to be with friends every day. He's having a great holiday and will continue to enjoy the summer schedule, but he'll be ready to return to school - for the social aspect at least.

summertime

and the living is easy .......

myst - I do fondly remember those days for sure!  My husband is a now retired teacher - so he was home all summer too!  I was the only one climbing out of bed in the morning- although working part time, so it is not a complaint!  We had lots of lazy days, trips to our local outdoor pool for swimming lessons every summer, visits to my folks at the cottage, kids sleepovers ... good memories.   We have lots of younger kids on our street now, so I enjoy watching & listening to them play, and chatting with them about their adventures. 

State law in Tennessee says school can't start before August 1 and some counties start as close to that as possible. Some schools opened on Monday August 2 this year. Our county just picked mid August for whatever reason. There is a push to change the law to something along the lines of school not starting until the 4th Monday of August instead. The terrible heat wave is the most cited reason why. In addition to being misrable and maybe dangerous, taxpayers are paying for all those air conditioners being run full blast. A later start date is argued to not only be more comfortable for the students, but a money saver as well. Since state law also requires 180 days of school the idea is to trim holidays and the fall, Christmas, and spring vacations to make up most of those days. I think there is a pitfall with that in that those days are already sacrificed for snow days and other things that happen throughout the year. If they're cut out to start with, and then days are missed for snow or other severe weather or other reasons, it'll mean school ends later in the spring, sometimes much later. I like the idea of a later start some, but I think people underestimate the "catch" that comes with it.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100804/NEWS04/8040362/-1/ARCHIVE01

Our niece in Georgia starts school next Monday.

I'm starting a new thread on 'the school year' so that this can continue with summer fun (or summer boredom).

Starting school before Labour Day is an abomination before God.

The teachers would definitely agree RevMatt!

My kids would also agree.

When the boys were littler, we tried to use up holidays and vacation in late july , early august, so that the last few weeks of august were do nothing.  It was intentional, the "i'm bored" set in, and they were ready to go back to school.

now, we are in the adjusting sleeping hours phase.  YoungestSon is like his mother..would rather stay up to the wee hours of the morning and sleep to noon.  He has volunteered a few weeks at Five Oaks, and been going to the Y, but has had a very laid back summer so far.  (which suits him just fine).

Going to the Y daily, and getting to bed a bit earlier each night is part of the prep for back to school.

Oldestson also chose to return to a job he loves for the summer, and it will be hard for it to end, i think. 

As a note, it is hard for kids who are not going to university or college when people presume they are or many of their friends are.

I love the sights and sounds of Summer, but the humidity absolutely SUCKS. So while I like being at home with my daughter, I kind of like the going back to school part because that means that Fall is close behind, thus, cooler weather.  I had a job interview yesterday at a school in Hamilton that went very well so hopefully  I will being teaching come September.

Fireprincess is in day camps and VBS's and is having a great time. We went to the Ontario Science Centre the other day and we are hitting a concert at the end of August. We have been spending lots of time at my mother's house....she has a pool. Swimming, cold beer (for me) and bar b qued buffalo burgers = great combination.

Of course, the big event around my part of Ontario is the Winona Peach Festival. Can't wait for some spectacular peach pie. A few of the United Churches have a booth were they have some killer homemade peach pie.  Birthstone knows what I mean.

I always loved the two months off for summer as I had my kids at home or they had a great time at camp and it was a great rest from school.

But I understand the issues related to less time off at once regarding scademic knowledge.

However that doesn't jive at all with the semester system in common use in Ontario high schools.  Where you can take math first semester in grade 9, finishing in Jan and then not take it again till second semester in grade 10 starting in Feb so one entire year off.  Even if yo took it in first semester the next year it is still not until September so 8 months off.

SO on one hand studies are saying there should n't be a big break and then schools set up big breaks.

the school my brothers kids go to put forth a proposal to try year round schooling.  It was a new air conditioned school so that wasn't an issue and it was in a neighbourhood with too many kids.  So they wanted to stagger the kids and use the building more efficiently.

But they wouldn't guarantee that siblings woudl be on the same stream for school/vacations.

There was also no thought put into how parents who had jobs out of the home were going to cope with one month off in December, one month off in march and one month off in July.  The current way for people to cope is parents vacation time and day camps or away camps.  But there are no camps in March and DEcember so how were families to cope.

Obviously the proposal failed and another one hasn't been figured out.

Lastpointe, I am a fan of full year schooling, with mandatory times for schools...kids figure out vacations, teachers figure out vacations...just like a workplace.  Families balance what they need.  The problem with that -- all the summer programming would go crazy -- lost a huge source of income.

Now that my kids are older I would miss the long times they have spent at camp and the opportunities they had.  Now of course they would miss teh opportunities to work.

A trade off and a change that will take quite a while to happen.  I dont' mind the idea of month long vacations at various times in the year.  And yet my kids would go on 40 day canoe trips through camp and would never have done that on mnth long summer holidays.

Times change, people adjust but there will be things lost.  Just the ability to be bored and watch the days pass will be gone .

I've just thought of another reason that year round schooling might not be best.  We shouldn't assume that kids are not learning in the summer just because they are off school.  This summer my grandson became an independant swimmer (with an adult on watching from the dock), and learned to ride a two-wheeler.  He also walked across the longest covered bridge in the world and learned something about history, bridges, and horse & buggy days.  We still hope to take him to a couple more places around the province and introduce him to the idea of the tide coming in and going out (something many adults who don't live on the coast know little about). 

It's a time when many kids develop interest and skills in sports like soccer and softball - or camping and fishing.  They learn to pick berries - wild or at a U-pick.  They help making jam or pickles.  They go on hikes.  They sleep outdoors in tents.  They go to camp.  they visit grandparents or cousins living in other places and learn how other families live - big city, small town, rural - big family, different family rules. 

And older kids sometimes get jobs and learn what it is like to work in the 'real world' - sometimes to decide that they really like construction, or that they want to stay in school so that they will never have to spend another summer planting trees in the sun and flies in a clear-cut. 

Of course you realize that the opposite holds true as well. Some kids trying construction will realize that is simply not for them. Some kids will love tree planting. My youngest sister did. She planted trees in northern Ontario for two or three summers and enjoyed the work and the cash it brought with it. So what is she doing now? After working in tourism and sales for about a decade she's a stay at home mom.

Of course, it works both ways.  And the kid doing 'joe jobs' in an office might decide that he wants to be a lawyer, or that he never wants to spend his life in a highrise office tower but would rather crawl over heavy equipment with a wrench in his hand. 

The point is, summer jobs give kids a chance to gain some experience in the real world. 

I'm enjoying the time off! I work for the schools!

1 son continues wiorking over the summer-he had 1 week off to be at naramata

Daughter-now done grade 12 was travelling with us-gets wisdom teeth out this month-and then finds a job for the year

youngest sun travelled-will travel to Ont. to see grandparents and back to school end of Aug.