by Kayla Dean
Right now, we’re in the thick of it.
The beginning of August signals the start of what my momma always called dog days. The promise of a cool dip in the pool is met with terrible disappointment as the water is too hot and glazed over with three months’ worth of sweat and chlorine. So the debilitating heat drives us indoors where we become prey to that ever-lurking monster, BOREDOM.
Well… at least our kids do anyway…right?
I mean, how many times a day do you hear from your child, “Mom, I’m bored!” as if you expected to jump around in circles to provide some form of entertainment.
But wait…don’t do that! I mean, unless you are bent on becoming a source of embarrassment for your teenager, then by all means, go ahead. On the plus side, you probably won’t have to worry about them bringing their friends around to laze around until noon, eat all your food, and prance about the house at all hours of the night.
On second thought…go ahead and dance!
But seriously, if you are stumped when trying to provide some sort of activity for your teenager in this sweltering heat, you might want to take a look at my list of activities to keep their minds and bodies busy. Hopefully, they will keep you from hearing those dreaded three words and stop Boredom from seizing another victim. I promise that all of these activities have been teen-tested and approved.
- Have a movie night
Visit your local video rental supplier—or better yet, rummage through some of your own DVDs or VHS’s (they’ve probably never even seen those) and find a good flick. Then, have your teenager pullout the pillows and blankets and spread them across the living room floor. Pop some popcorn and curl up on the couch for a relaxing evening. You can also have a discussion after the movie about conflicting ideas or situations presented in the film that you may want to further examine. You could even allow them to invite some friends.
- Get Scrappy
You know all those old scrapbooks that you’ve been meaning to get to, but you haven’t quite found the time yet? Break some of those out. This could be a great opportunity to talk to your teen about the summers you spent at Great Uncle Don’s lake house. Tell them stories about when they were little; tell them stories about when you were little. Break out the home movies and baby books, and then, leave them with the materials to pick up where you left off. They just may be so inspired to finish that scrapbooking project for you.
- Visit the Library I know, I know—libraries are uncool. But many of them still offer reading programs even this late in the summer. For the reader in your family, you may not have to prod much, but for the teenager who can’t stand reading, offering a cash incentive—or some other reward—may help. Plus, reading will help them gear up for school.
- Check Out the Local Entertainment
When was the last time you and your family went bowling? Or, heaven forbid, when was the last time you took a trip to the mall? What about getting in touch with your creative side? One of my favorite activities to do with kids of all ages is to attend a painting class at a local art studio. My three year old even got in on the fun at AJ’s Art Studio. He painted right alongside a few teenagers.
- Venture Outdoors If all else fails, you may have to go back outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. Websites like Ultimate Camp Resource have excellent ideas for group games and water games to be played outdoors and/or indoors. Equipped with a resource like this, you could still fire up the grill for one last summer get-together and still have loads of fun while keeping cool.