Well, for many here in Texarkana, summer officially has begun. By that we mean that school's out just about all over town. Children won't be leaving the house every weekday morning. No, instead they will be sticking around. Every day. For several weeks.
Now, that's a welcome thing for a lot of parents. More family time. Maybe a vacation trip. We suspect that it will be a bit trying for others, though. Especially these day when youngsters tend to spend more time at home, on their computer or phone or in front of the TV and a gaming console. That's a far cry from the days many of our older readers can remember, when almost all the summer days were spent outdoors. Television came in three channels, and during the day the only things on were games shows and soap operas. There were no computers, no smartphones. As for gaming, well, you had the bowling alley and pinball machines.
So you played outside. Rode bikes. Went swimming. Climbed trees. Fell down. Got back up.
Nice memories.
Times have changed. Children have many more entertainment options, and perhaps it seems natural to choose those that involve sitting in the air conditioning rather than running around in the hot sun. Nothing wrong with that-some of the time. But with childhood obesity rising and exercise declining, may we gently suggest that parents do what they can to encourage a healthy balance of indoor and outdoor recreation?
Yes, it may difficult to pry their hands away from a phone or the remote at first. And they may sulk and shuffle a bit. But it will be worthwhile in the long run. Who knows? One day they may even appreciate your efforts.
Or maybe not. But keep trying. It's for their own good. And if it all gets too much, just remember that August-and the start of a new school year-isn't all that far away.