Dear Dr. Laura, 

The best advice I got when I started homeschooling my kids was to let them be bored. When electronics are off, (yes that means no TV, computers or video games), kids are forced to find other ways to entertain themselves. 

I have 2 daughters: one will head into the backyard to garden and catch lizards, the other usually stays inside and listens to books on tape while she draws or works with clay. This isn't to say we don't have a busy summer planned. We have scheduled camps, play dates and beach days, but I have very intentionally scheduled a fair amount of down time. 

Kids today are over scheduled and too dependent on their parents for entertainment. Kids need to learn both how to entertain themselves as well as how to discover their own interests. 

Thanks, 

Tammy