The One Place You Must Take Your Child This Summer

The One Place You Must Take Your Child This Summer

School’s out for summer, which means a lot of fun is on the way—but it can also mean that the dreaded “summer slide” is approaching, when your children will be at risk of losing some of the knowledge and skills they’ve learned in class this year. And although 90 percent of parents acknowledge that the summer slide is a real problem, only about one in three parents think their child might suffer from it. Hooboy. We all like to think our children are extraordinarily bright, but I think it’s a bit dangerous to assume that your child is immune to a phenomenon that so many kids experience.

If you really want to make sure your little ones stay up to speed academically, and that they don’t have to struggle so much when school starts again in September, take them to the library early and often this summer. Owning a library card is one of the first signifiers of independence and responsibility that a child can have—it helps them know that they are a real member of your community, and teaches them about sharing, making decisions on their own, and the importance of treating others’ belongings with respect. Beyond that, and perhaps most importantly, having a library card opens a child’s mind to the wonders of reading and can spark a life-long love of books and literature.

Plus? Libraries these days have a lot more than books. Aside from being a (free!) air-conditioned place to hang out with wi-fi, your local branch will almost definitely have weekly story time for children and other activities for kids during the summer. I challenge each one of you to make a commitment to get your kids to the library at least once a week this summer. Not only will it help beat summer slide, but it will almost definitely help combat summer boredom, too!