By Bonnie Brown
Columnist

“In the good old summertime, In the good old summertime, Strollin’ through the shady lanes with my baby mine. I hold her hand and she holds mine And that’s a very good sign That she’s my tootsie wootsie In the good old summertime.”

How many of you have heard the lyrics to this song? It’s an oldie but it conveys the relaxing, fun times of summer with the anticipation of romance, freedom from responsibility, and contentment.

Isn’t that what summer is about? We look forward to the warm weather, vacation time, beach time, and a carefree season of pleasure.

Sure, for many there are crops to fret about, deadlines to meet, juggling responsibilities, different work schedules, and entertaining the children. You know how bored the kiddos become when school is out, and the order of the day is quite different from the school year. What to do with the children to keep them safe, entertained, amused, and perhaps even productive?

There are a number of camps that have terrific programs that kids enjoy and find beneficial. Parents can use the camp experience to help their child learn a bit of independence and use it as an opportunity to gain self-confidence.

The camp experience allows your kiddo to make new friends, experience different food, and acquire patience and acceptance when dealing with new acquaintances. And believe it or not, camp is the first network building for your offspring. They may very well stay connected with, or come across, their camp friends years later.

Parents and children can come up with lots of things to do in the good old summertime. For instance, you can have a picnic in your own backyard or venture to a nearby park. Plan for a star-gazing night experience. They could do some research prior to that in order to identify the different stars.

When I was a kid, we played lots of games in our yard with the neighbors’ kids. Visit the local pool and enjoy some water games.

My brothers and I always looked forward to the county fair. We sold vegetables from our garden to earn money for the admission and rides. Our parents would insist that we walk through the exhibits and see all the animals.

I wasn’t a big fan, but I did learn a lot and it was a good family event. And there were always concerts and performers, all kinds of music. I remember watching the fellow on the motorcycle go round and round in this huge, round ball. Just watching that gave me motion sickness! My dad seemed to enjoy it though.

Keep in mind that summer is very fleeting. The vacation is over in a blink, the camp quickly becomes a memory, and you grow tired of the absence of a routine. I know, that sounds boring, right?

It’s hard to believe that the year is almost half over. Time passes quickly and before you know it, you will be purchasing school supplies, clothes, and other essentials.

Then there will be football and the tempo of your life will once again change with the season regardless of your age.

So, tell me in the good old summertime, couldn’t the lyricist refer to his lady friend as something other than “tootsie wootsie”?

Write to Bonnie Brown at bspbrown@outlook.com