You probably got off to a great start when the kids got out of school. Everyone was thrilled to do their own thing for the first week and play with their own friends and their own toys. Then you decide it's probably time to put a little bit of structure back into the picture by asking the kids to at least pick up their own rooms, make their own beds and limit the amount of time in front of the TV. And that is where half the problems start, by turning off the TV.

When the TV goes off there is no automatic entertainment. Moms or caregivers don't have time to schedule activities all day long for the kids nor should they. What should be done however, is to make sure that there are options available for the kids and that the kids know these options. If there is availability for the kids to play outdoors, they should know where the boundaries are for how far away from the house they can go, rules for communicating if they are out of eye sight and a time to be determined for their return or a time to check in by phone. You may also want to set limits as to how many of the kids' friends can be at the house at one time. This may vary by the size of your neighborhood, the ages of the children and how many children you have. You have a right to set 'crowd control limits' at your house and to determine the length of time the neighbor kids are at your house.

For indoor hours when it is too hot to play outdoors let the creativity flow! Do you remember getting blankets out of the closet and creating tents by draping them over upturned dining room chairs or along the backs of the sofa and whatever you could find that was the right height? What about taking a deck of cards and seeing who could build the highest card house? Or building with 'Legos' or 'Lincoln Logs' or 'K'Nex'. And how about building with real pieces of lumber scraps in the garage and real hammers and nails? Let's not let this next generation of kids be totally dependent on technology to stimulate them.

Don't forget good old color books, scissors, glue, construction paper and tape. Or decorating their own rooms with wall decals. Decals come in durable vinyl and all shapes and designs and are totally removable and mess free. Bring creativity into your home this summer. You may need to help set up some of these supplies but you'll be amazed that your 15 minutes of prep for the kids and your enthusiasm will turn into hours of entertainment for them.

If you'd like to see creative ideas for kids bedroom or play room decorating visit http://www.yourwallpaperborder.com and be assured that this is fun for boys and girls. Many hands may make a mess but will create wonderful memories.