Vacation at home

Most parents don’t look forward to vacationing at home during the summer months. The excitement of going to some place new cannot equal a vacation at home. However, in times of financial uncertainty where planning a holiday is next to impossible, a little novelty goes a long way.
Most of us gather a lot of information about holiday destinations but know very little about our own cities. Summer activities for children in the cities get better and hotter than the summer itself with each passing year. This maybe the best time to hone your child’s talents and interests. The key word with children is novelty to keep boredom at bay. The only thing children lack these days is time and attention from their parents. This is critical in building the most cherished childhood memories. My most cherished memories are the ones I spent going to the beach with my parents, listening to the animated ghost stories of my grandmother and stealing mangoes from my neighbour’s tree with my friends. In times where finding a mango tree in our concrete jungles or friends for that matter is next to impossible, parents have to do most of the monkeying around. Getting to know picnic spots is a good way of getting your couch potato, PSP kid out in the open. A fun way of reliving your childhood is to do those things you did as a child with your child. Find a good tree to climb and teach your kid the pro way. Teach him to “deal” his kite or make the biggest splash in a shallow stream. This could be the fastest way of going from “Zero” to “Hero” in your child’s eyes.
What about the things you can actually do at home? Play a board game as a family or a game of shuttle. This helps in making your child a team player. Skip the boring, standard menus at least once a week and cook along with your child. Children love to be the handy man/woman at home. Invite his or her friends for a sleepover and try making your own tents out of bed sheets, curtains and a lot of creativity. Have a puppet show or arrange for a magic show at home and watch your child become the most popular kid on the block. Create an art and craft corner for your child at home and give Van Gogh a run for his money! A reading corner filled with fairytales, detective stories, illustrated classics and a mini food cupboard ensures quiet time is exactly that.
These are just a few fun ways to fill the summer days. Finding what works best for your child lies in how well you know your child and in the efforts taken to sincerely plan a good fun, filled holiday season for them. Gifting your child an abundance of good memories is the best reward of parenthood. Going the whole hog should not be difficult when the price is a bear hug and a kiss that says, “You are the best”.