By many now parents are sick of summer. Actually, what they are sick of is bored kids whining, kids fighting, kids tearing up the house...you get it. Parents may even feel cheated. Everywhere you look, the message is that you're supposed to be having fun. But you're not having fun yet and summer is almost over.

How do you get a grip on your sanity and resurrect a bit of fun with what's left of the summer days you still have? Creativity and persistence. Use these to not only make life more exciting for the kids, but to also carve out time for you and your spouse to recharge your love life before the busy school year sets in.

If you haven't taken a family vacation, do it now. With this year's high fuel prices driving inflation, some families have wiped vacation time off the budgetary slate. But guess what? There isn't one part of this country that doesn't have tourist attractions nearby. We are just in the habit of traveling elsewhere for our fun. But take a look at your state's tourism web pages and you'll find a host of fun things to do close to home. If getting out of the house is a must, you can often camp for very little money and gives the kids a view of the world they won't find on a video game screen.

If your not ready to give up the comforts of home but need a break, do day trips to attractions nearby, and let your house be your home away from home. The rules of this game are that the whole family pitches in and gets the house ready. Laundry done, clean sheets, towels, etc. Make your house as neat and tidy as the best hotel you'd like to visit, because for the duration of your vacation, short of taking out the trash, housework is out of the question. Meals in restaurants or deli take out with disposable dishes and flatware. Do things as close to what you'd do if staying in a motel as possible, smug in the knowledge that you're saving hundreds of dollars on motels and gas in the process. No lawn mowing for dad or chores for the kids for the duration, either. After all, you're on vacation! Even if it's just for a weekend, make it fun.

If you've already taken vacation, combat boredom the same way- find the fun local things to do and indulge the family. Even dinner as a picnic in the park down the street after work is still a treat and gives everyone a change of pace. Play it up- give the kids something to be excited about and look forward to, not just another day hanging around the house.

And for the days you are home and the kids are driving you nuts? Most kids have plenty of things available for them to do at home, they just need a reminder, or for the littlest ones, some help getting started. And all kids need supervision along the way, even if it's just a parent to poke their head in the door now and then to check on things. Just don't get into the habit of being your children's entertainment committee. It's their job to entertain themselves and your job to facilitate the process and make sure the activities chosen are safe and appropriate.

Last, and most importantly, fun time for you and your partner. oft times our loves lives get put last on the list, but as it's been said, "The best gift you can give your children is parents who love each other". If mom and dad aren't getting along, everybody's going to be miserable. I believe one reason for the divorce rate in this country is that we've been deceived by the media into thinking our marriages are disposable and the kids' immediate gratification is paramount. Wrong, wrong, wrong. There is a proper order to things and it is this: marriage (or your equivalent of it) first, children second. That doesn't make it ok to neglect your children or justify an abusive step-parent. But a lot more marriages (and families) would survive for the long haul if everything weren't centered on the kids and parents took more time out to nurture their own relationship. Happy marriages don't just happen, they take effort. One of the best things you can do to preserve your love life is to take time away from the hustle and bustle of every day life, just the two of you.

Nearly everyone has family who can take the kids a few days at a time, or partner with another couple and take turns 'inviting' each other's kids over for a couple of days. Believe it or not, just as you appreciate getting away from the kids now and then, they enjoy a break from you. Not only does it help kids learn to be more confident in facing life, they don't have parents nagging them about chores and such. And sometimes, other people will see qualities in your child that you don't because they aren't caught up in the day to day struggles with your child that you are.

Again, if money is an issue, make home your base camp. Just being able to sleep at night uninterrupted and having a break from the constant stress of raising a family can do wonders for your love life. Go out to dinner without having to rush home to relieve the sitter. Or go fishing, see a museum...take turns doing fun things together and if your spouse's idea of fun isn't yours, be open to doing different things. You just might pick up a new interest and at the very least you'll have a better understanding of what makes your partner the person he/she is. If you just can't manage some away time together, at least get a sitter one or two evenings a week. Your marriage deserves it.


So take some time to make these few remaining days of summer special. It only takes a little effort to create lasting memories for the whole family. It's not so much what you do together that counts. It's that you carve out the time to be together in the first place.