"I'm bored!"  "There is nothing to do!"  "My friend's house is way more fun than our house!"  Do the above statements sound like something your children would say to you during the summer?  Well, you are not alone.  Without a daily plan a child may feel uncomfortable and anxious about the unknown.  We, as busy parents who sometimes live by our day planners or blackberries, may even struggle ourselves when there is nothing on the "to do list" for the day.  All children, whether in school or out of school, benefit from this approach.  So how do we accomplish this as parents?

First, ask yourself "what activities in my child's day can remain consistent?"  You may answer with things like having breakfast together or taking a shower every night before bedtime.  Let your children know what pieces of the day will not change.  You may even make them a daily schedule to follow that lays out these activities as well as the times at which they will occur. 

Secondly, buy a monthly dry erase calendar.  Put it in a place where the whole family can review it at any time.  Write in all appointments, play dates, vacations and special events on the calendar and make sure to review it with your children daily so they know what is to come.