By Staff
We are at the halfway mark for the year, with Christmas only six months away. What happened to the lazy days of summer?
Do the children of today ever get a chance to just be kids and enjoy nature and a break from organization and rules they have during the school year?
Old timers remember days of going fishing, after their many chores around the farm and home were done.
Daydreaming or sitting in a tree with a book were not frowned upon.
With the next generation came more organized summer activities. Instead of going swimming, roller skating and climbing trees, there were organized sport leagues.
From t-ball to soccer, children were able to spend part of their summer learning how to be part of a team, playing to win or just for fun, sometimes depending on the coach.
When professional adult sports suddenly went crazy paying superstars tremendous salaries, some parents found a new goal – to have their child support them in their old age, or at least get a full scholarship to college.
Suddenly we had sports camps at universities replacing the cabins and wilderness training of the past.
Besides sports, talented youngsters were sent to music or art camps.
Though these extra activities can be extremely beneficial to their future, it is possible the daydreaming may have also had an impact.
Life should be a balance. Let them be children. All too soon these lazy days of summer will be gone.