Over the years, she's collected a lot of other ideas for creative play. "I used to be a mother who didn't 'do glue.' But when our three boys were young, I realized that if I wanted them to grow up to be creative and resourceful people, I'd better have plenty of ideas for fun, creative activities in my back pocket that could capture their imaginations and keep them happily occupied when they reached their specified TV limit for the day (which didn't take long)."

Speaking of TV, she said, she is always surprised by the parents who want to teach their children strong values and yet invite so many other people into their home every day that teach other things. There's a place for TV, she said, "but don't watch it passively. Watch it with your children and use it as a time to develop critical thinking skills. Talk about what you agree with and don't agree with and why."

Another thing that is very important for families in the summer, said Peel, is to plan a time — every day — when you disconnect from the world and can connect as a family.

"Make it a priority. Maybe 30 minutes or an hour before bedtime. Maybe at dinner time, where you make it a rule to turn off all TV, cell phones and other connections to the world."

You can play games together; you can watch TV or a DVD together. You can talk. You can teach important life skills such as manners and social behavior. Or, cooking and how to change a tire and first aid.

"Summer's a great time for that. The pressure's not on to do lessons. And it stays light later, so you can say, 'after dinner we're all going to learn how to change a tire,' " said Peel.

It's a great time to learn the skills for a new hobby. "The Internet's good for that. Say you want to learn origami. There are lots of helpful Web sites — and it won't cost you anything." She lists a lot of free resources on her Web site: www.familymanager.com.

Overall, she said, "summer can be a wonderful bonding time for parents and their kids, if it is done right."

---

E-mail: carma@desnews.com