Our vision is to inspire, empower, educate one another through ongoing community exchange. One of the ways we’re doing this is through our Friday Community column, in a monthly series called In Your Words. We reach out to our contributors and guest writers to ask them a question once a month.
Read what our contributors have to say and share your answer in the comments below.
What is one of your favorite childhood summer memories and how do you carry this forward in your family?
Kristin Hill Taylor
http://www.kristinhilltaylor.com
When I think of my childhood summers, I'm immediately taken back to the pool and our neighborhood. I loved spending afternoons at the pool and then coming home and playing flashlight tag with my neighborhood friends. We'd be in and out of each other's houses. Now, my kids and I spend many summer afternoons at the pool too. It's a different pool in a different town, but the sentiment of summer remains. They've recently befriended two boys who live on the other side of the fence from us. I love seeing that neighborhood friendship develop. And their parents even just installed a gate in the fence that had separated our families!
Susan Panzica
My favorite childhood memories are really from my kids' childhoods. We moved to a lake community when my oldest was six months old. Every year, our lake association runs a children's parade where over 100 kids get dressed up, dress up their bikes, or ride on homemade floats down to the beach, followed by a giant barbeque. My husband sculpted amazing things out of refrigerator boxes - including a pink Cadillac, an Egyptian barge, a Loch Ness monster, and an army tank among others. It was such a fun experience that, for about 10 years, I served as the parade organizer.
Alecia Simersky
I spent a lot of summers at my grandparents’ houses. Those are memories that I will forever cherish, especially since most of my grandparents have passed away. Now encourage my kids to spend as much time as possible with their grandparents. I want them to have a collection of their own memories.
Kimberly Amici
My favorite childhood memory is hanging around outside in the neighborhood with friends until the sun went down. I am trying to carry this forward with my kids but find it hard because, even during the summer, families in our neighborhood tend to be over-scheduled and aren’t available for impromptu playdates. I am encouraging my kids to go to the playground or walk to a friend's simply to knock on their door to see if they can play instead of waiting for me to schedule a playdate.
Elise Daly Parker
We went to Cape Cod every summer for as long as I can remember...even when there weren't easy major routes to get there from New Jersey. My parents instilled a love for the Cape because it reminded them a little of Bermuda where they honeymooned. It's very chill and instead of the white stones so many "shore" houses have, many yards are covered in a layer of pine needles with that beautiful scent wafting through the air. We have brought our kids there every year, except one when I was too pregnant to travel that far. We reunite with a family we knew as little kids...and now our kids and their kids have grown up together. We have a talent show, go to the beach together, sing, roast marshmallows. Just love it!!
Micalagh Moritz
I always loved going to the Jersey Shore as a child and enjoying the ocean, sand, salty air, boardwalk, and the overall feel of being at the beach. My husband and I have made it a priority to get to my family reunion at the Shore each year. And this year, I will get to introduce my two-month-old to the beach for the first time!
Now it's your turn! Tell us in the comments...
What is one of your favorite childhood summer memories and how do you carry this forward in your family?