By Grace Fox

AS a stay-at-home mom with three pint-sized preschoolers, I faced days when my supply of physical energy sometimes simply failed to meet the demand. It seems others noticed.

More than once, mothers with older children smiled knowingly at me and said, “Hang in there! Enjoy your kids while they’re young, because time will fly by. Before you know it, they’ll be grown and gone.”

“Ha!” I thought. “You haven’t got a clue.”

I was wrong; they were right. Nearly two years have passed since our youngest child packed her suitcases and bid us adieu. College-bound, she left me and my husband sitting alone in our nest, wondering how it emptied so quickly.

“How can this be?” I ask. It seems only yesterday that I was changing diapers. Today I’m the older woman who smiles knowingly at weary young parents. Who set the clock on warp speed?

One thing I’ve learned over time: the years during which our children are at home is a season to be treasured – no matter whether they’re toddlers, teenagers or somewhere in between. They’re here today, gone tomorrow (well, most of the time).

Trouble is, we’re often so consumed by the rigours of parenting and other responsibilities that we forget to enjoy the moment. We tend to overlook the present by pondering plans for the future – when the kids will be a little older and parenting will be less demanding. Personal experience tells me those thoughts need a readjustment.

Summertime is the perfect opportunity to make those adjustments, because schedules and bedtimes are often more relaxed than during the school year. Here are a few suggestions to increase the fun quotient with your kids now, during those busy but precious years.

• Take the family on a spur-of-the-moment picnic to a park or beach. Pack a frisbee, kite or ball for fun. As for the meal, follow the KISS recipe: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. Fix favourite sandwiches for supper, add fresh fruit and carrot sticks – and voila! You’re good to go.

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• Camp in the backyard on a Friday night. For authenticity, cook pancakes and bacon on a camping stove in the morning. Who says you have to pack tons of food and gear and then drive for hours to an unknown destination for an overnight outdoor adventure?

• Develop a restful tradition reserved for Sunday afternoons. For example, take a walk or ride bikes around your neighbourhood. Enjoy homemade fruit smoothies upon returning home.

• Build a playhouse with the kids. Get a giant-sized cardboard box from an appliance store. Turn it upside down, cut windows into the sides, and let the kids paint or color its walls.

• Bake cupcakes or cookies with the kids. I know, I know – it’s faster, cleaner and easier to do it yourself. But including your children in the task provides another opportunity to make a memory. Make enough to share with a neighbour, thereby teaching the kids the joy of generosity.

• Start a water fight. Stash small water pistols, water soakers or a bag of water balloons – and catch your kids off-guard on a hot afternoon. They’ll love you for it, especially if you let them soak you, too!

• Read, read, read with your children. Visit the public library and help them choose age-appropriate books. Early elementary age children might enjoy acting out short stories.

Making time to enjoy the kids, especially before they reach their teenage years, is vital to building strong relationships. And having strong relationships with them is critical to helping them navigate adolescence successfully.

Enjoy the summer, and enjoy your kids! After all, time flies. Before you know it, they’ll be grown and gone.

Grace Fox is an international speaker and the author of several books including 10-Minute Time Outs for You and Your Kids(Harvest House). www.gracefox.com

July 2007