How to Banish "I'M BORED" this Summer

Those two words that parents and caregivers hate to hear from kids.

"I'M BORED."

Most kids count down the last few weeks, days and even hours of school for that awesomeness of summer break. But just a few days in, it starts.

"I'M BORED."

How about sharing this new meaning of the word "BORED" with your child?

Let's make a deal that every time we hear a child say this, we'll ask these questions!

And, if you need camp or program ideas for the kids while they are out-of-school this summer, simply text GETCONNECTED to 96714. Enter your zip code and your child's age and options will be sent to you! A lot of these activities, camps and programs are low cost or free!

And lastly, from our friends at the Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood, here are some easy ways to engage your children this summer, including alphabet hopscotch, an obstacle course and online resources.

Kids can lose up to two months' worth of math and reading skills in the summer, so let's keep them learning while school is out!

How do you help your child avoid summer boredom?

Kindergarten or Bust!

By Breck Thomas-Ross

Choices - they can overwhelm any parent, especially me.  Whether it was selecting the right car seat or crib, I’ve been overwhelmed with parenting choices.  Is this one safe enough?  That one has better ratings. But this one is really cute!  As my daughter got older, the choices changed.  Where should she go to preschool?  How many days should she go?  Half-day or full-day?  Now that we’re approaching kindergarten, I don’t have a choice – I have to get her ready. That’ll be easy, right?

Girls CAN Be Good At Math - Don't Buy Into the Falsehood

By Janet L. Boyd

My granddaughter, Stella Rose, is a better conversationalist than just about any adult I know. Our discussions range from pop music to yoga to whether boogers would taste salty or sweet. At age 7, she considers herself an expert on many things: the value of pink cowgirl boots, the poems of Roald Dahl, Double Gloucester cheese, building fairy houses at Hogan’s Fountain, music by Loretta Lynn and Nancy Sinatra, purses, the movie Annie, and how to steer Canterbury the horse around a barn cat instead of running right over it.  She can talk a blue streak about any of these topics.

Here’s another thing Stella Rose is an expert at – math! During a recent overnight visit with me, she spent the last few minutes before falling asleep figuring the 12 times table in her head. She can add a column of figures faster than I can. She excels at division in first grade. All on her own, she figured out that the sum of the first two digits of her dad’s phone number equals digits three and four, and the sum of digits five and six equals digit seven.

But, sadly, by the time Stella Rose goes to middle school, she may stop believing in herself as an expert in math.