UNITED STATES—This might be the most exciting time of the year for kids, tweens, and teens, but for parents it’s not the greatest. Why? Summer is almost here and most kids are about to get out of school. For parents this is where daycare becomes an issue. Why? School tends to keep those students occupied for about 8 to 9 hours, but now you’re going to have students who are not in school and will likely be home when the parent is working.
So, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., someone is going to have to watch/babysit those kids. If you’re dealing with teens and pre-teens, you are in a situation where they could to some degree watch themselves. However, with some pre-teens you have to decide if they are mature enough to stay home alone. Not all kids are smart or mature enough for you to leave them home alone. Now those 2-year-olds all the way up to like 11 or 12, time to look for a sitter.
Rather it is a family member, a sibling or you’re actually paying for daycare it can be costly out of pocket. Yes, you can see your funds deplete quite quickly having to take care of that expense that perhaps you weren’t expecting or didn’t expect to have to deal with. Most parents don’t prepare for it either, but at the same time, when you have a kid or multiple children you always have to consider that in the back of your mind.
Making the summer more pressing is keeping the kiddos entertained. The first and most annoying thing you want to hear as a parent is, “I’m bored.” Occupy the mind and find a way to get them to think. I know when I was a kid during the summer months we spent hours on top of hours outside. It was like a rite of passage for me and my siblings.
Rather we were playing tag, hide-n-seek, biking, walking, baseball or some other sport we loved being outside. In 2026, when you tell a kid to go outside and play, they look at you like you’re crazy. Go outside and play what? That phrase of going outside is foreign to them because they are used to being on cellphones and electronic devices. In the 80s and 90s when I grew up, we had no cellphones, the only electronic device we had was a video game system, and even with TV you could only watch it so much.
My parents would allow us to play, but only for a few hours, and then we were forced to go outside. Or worse do chores! You should never tell your parent you are bored because if you do, oh, they will indeed find a way to keep you busy. Another way to occupy the time for the family is to plan vacations and outings. Going to the park, going to the zoo, going to the mall, the arcade, fun zones, amusement parks, carnivals and iconic landmarks where you live or other states.
Yes, the kids can make suggestions, but the parents will ultimately have the final decision. Where you go will be dependent on the budget. Summer is the time for travel and it’s also the time to keep the kids entertained and educated at the same time.
For most families they have that annual family vacay that tends to be planned months in advance. You only have 2 months of free time, so maximize as much as possible parents. Why? It helps keep you alleviated from stress that you don’t want to add to your life, but if you’re seeking daycare the plan is now. Find summer camps or programs that you can utilize to help keep your child not only safe but entertained during the hot summer months.
