Lazy Days of Summer

I looked at my calendar today and realized that summer is more than halfway over. In a few short weeks, I’ll be preparing to send my three-year-old to Pre-Kindergarden -- the beginnings of a very long school journey. The nostalgia has begun to kick in: memories of when she was born, eating her first solid meal, taking her first steps. Now that she’s officially onto big girl territory, I’m feeling terribly grateful that I’ll at least have every summer to spend with her.

But those summers may not always look the way they do today. A new article in Time Magazine talks about the possibility of an extended school year, saying, “…When American students are competing with children around the globe who may be spending four weeks longer in school each year, larking through summer is a luxury we can't afford.” President Obama floated the idea last year too.

I’m of two minds: I want my daughter to be well-versed and ready to conquer the world when the time comes -- but I can’t help wanting her for myself too. And don’t kids learn to be creative and inventive by having down time?

What do you think Parenting readers: Are those lazy days of summer still a good idea?