March 2008

Editor's Note

I am writing this column in late February. My family has just returned from a snow outing on the east slope of the Cascades. When we stepped from our car into the parking lot at the sledding hill, muddy slush squenched under our boots. Our group split off into the scenery-loving snowshoers and thrill-seeking sledders, but all of us were shedding layers of clothing after a few minutes of activity. Even the baby, riding in the backpack carried by my nephew, appeared to savor the sun bathing his winter white cheeks.

The snow conditions may not have been optimum, but we were not about to complain. Winter – as wet and cold as I can ever remember – appears to be slinking away for another year. Soon we’ll emerge from our houses and blink in the brightness, noticing neighbors for the first time since fall.

These changes in season also provide a painful but probably necessary reality check for those of us who are in denial about how fast our kids are morphing into grown-ups. In a few weeks I’ll haul out the spring clothes from 2007 and, pathological optimist than I am, I will try (but fail) to stuff my kids into last year’s wardrobe. Then we’ll go shopping and I’ll be passing tank bathing suits into the dressing room. Still, even my youngest will walk out with a skinny two-piece. The river of life is flowing fast at this house and nothing is stopping it.

On this day with spring in the air, it is only fitting that as I sit down to write this column I find on my desk the final draft of SUMMERTIME, our directory of summer classes, day and overnight camps for ages 2-18. When we first published a guide to summer activities in the stone age of parenting publications – the early 1980s – we had yet to realize that a kid could do more than learn to swim, play tennis, go to camp and wander around the neighborhood for three months of the year. Our first summer guide was short and simple.

This year, there are so many opportunities for summer classes and camps that our print version of SUMMERTIME is a mere teaser for the hundreds of additional activities you’ll find by clicking here to go to the searchable SUMMERTIME online. From pipe organ lessons to cheer leading classes, double Dutch jump rope to circus camp, our kids can hone skills, dare to try something new or escape us by signing up for overnight camp.

So sharpen the pencil, get a calendar and SUMMERTIME in front of you and start the summer planning marathon. But before you dive in, here are a couple of tips from a pro:

(1) Remember that every great new opportunity for your kid requires you to drive or set up a carpool, and it usually costs money. If you overextend yourself on either of those, you’ll get grumpy and then nobody will be having fun.

(2) Maybe really good parents don’t experience this emotion, but last summer when I dropped off my kids for boating camp on a glorious August morning, I was awash with envy as I walked back to my car. Parents get to have fun too, so stash away some time and money for the grown-ups to do some fun summer learning.

Sail boarding lessons anyone?

Ann Bergman, Editor/Publisher
abergman@seattleschild.com

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