Take a time out, WITH your kids

In a time in our world's economy where gas is nearly 4 bucks a gallon, 5 for a our friends on the left coast of these United states,  groceries are priced higher, mortgages have increased, while home values have decreased, and everything in between has us scratching our heads wondering, will this ever end?  The most innocent are stuck in the middle left to wonder, what are we going to do today mommy?  Yes children have remained unchanged, they want, what they want, when they want it, and seldom do they understand what an economy is or what it has to do with them getting what they desire.  So how have you been able to keep your children entertained?  How have you been able to keep your children moving instead of plopping them down in front of the "idiot box" as my dad  used to refer  the television as, or worse, giving  them a video game so they become zombie like, lacking interpersonal communication skills and a good chance of beginning a long life of being out of shape and over weight. 
As a parent we all want our children to be,  to do and have better than we had.  Unless of course  you are one of those bitter adults, borderline selfish and says more often than not, 'hell it was good enough for me it will be good enough for your little ass" not seeing the challenge of striving to want better for your children.
So..... how does one manage to juggle all of the above combined with swimming lessons, karate lessons, piano, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, tennis, football, chess club, girl scouts, boy scouts, summer camp, sleepovers, play dates, etc..along with all the money sucking items at your local mall.  How do you make an interesting weekend for your kids without costing an arm and a leg?
 Well I have become a pretty creative parent and due to this economy I have become a wiz of sorts at keeping my kid entertained on a budget.  And because I believe in sharing knowledge here are some tips, places and activities that are fun and won't break you.  Get a piece of paper and write them down.  Of course each location will vary because I do understand  not everywhere is like the DC metro area, the center of our countries politics and home of some of the worlds best museums, but if you look at your city where you live rather it be the Midwest, the sunny west coast or in other parts of the world, it is possible to keep  your kids entertained and moving while you maintain a reasonable budget.
THE ZOO, last weekend I got the grand idea of taking the DC Metro service(public transportation) into Washington, DC to visit the zoo.  And to my surprise I ended up having just as much fun as my 7 year old.  It really was like a little adventure, getting on the metro, looking at all the really strange people on the metro, and people watching is one of my favorite things to do.  Plus it was little brisk out but the sun was shining and families were everywhere it really was amazing seeing the various animals. The cost to get into the zoo?  Absolutely nothing.  There you go, a day of fun, for free!  I might add, walking that entire  zoo wore my  ASS OUT!!! And my daughter as well.  We were knocked out sleep by 11.  It was a wonderful workout.
And now that we are talking about free. how about visiting THE MUSEUMS.  Washington DC has some of the most incredible museums and they are mostly still free.  It is a wonderful time to walk and see but it also has a ton of information to learn.  If you are careful as an adult, you too can learn as well.   
THE LOCAL LIBRARY.  Man I had forgotten what a wonderful resource a library can be. 
Most libraries have computers,  so with a library card, which all little kids should have, you can use a computer for free and a certain amount of printing is  free is as well.  You wanna talk about movies? The library has TONS of dvd's and even for you ole schoolers, VHS tapes, that again are absolutely free, bingo!!! Home movie night for absolutely nothing throw in some popcorn and you have you a homemade MOVIE NIGHT!!!!  I even hype a movie night up, and if your kid is like mine it doesn't take alot to get her hyped about anything, especially Willy Wonka and the Choclate Factory which she has seen at least 13 dozen times!!! Thats an entirely notha blog, what to do as a parent when your kids want to watch a dam movie you KNOW they have seen a dozen times?  Another time, another blog... I digress.. where was I?
THE PARKS,  yes, thats where I was, another fun free activity.  THE PARKS, we have some of the most beautiful parks in our area and because we also live near the water a great majority of the parks are also near the water so you can go canoe riding, paddle boating, hiking, bike riding and exploring.  All these activities are great for children getting them moving and seeing and OUTDOORS, these little kids now sit in  the house without the fresh air and all that nature has to offer.  My mother and I used to go bird watching as well, now I watch birds with my daughter. We keep a little bird book handy (that we got at the library....for free) to find out what exactly types of birds we see.  It really is amazing what is in nature if you get from up unda the television and go explore. 
SWIMMING at your local YMCA or community center.  It only cost 6 bucks at the swimming center in my neighborhood  for a kid to swim at an indoor pool and if your kid DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM, investigate swimming classes.  All children should grow up knowing how to swim.  It not only is smart, but it is also a great source of exercise.
 BOWLING,... yes something as a parent you may have not done in a very long time.  But bowling is actually a great way for your children to learn hand to eye coordination.  And for your small children they have the little railings they put up on the aisles so the bowling ball  is practically guaranteed to knock something down. 
And finally.... old fashioned WALKING.  I know.... what a concept right?  But walking is a wonderful source of exercise but it also gives you an opportunity to exercise as well as getting connected with your children. When was the last time you really talked to your children about what is going on in their lives? If you make the walk goal oriented, meaning telling your kids," hey lets walk to the 7-11 and get a slurpy"
(hey, this is what works for my kid) they will walk to the moon for a doggone slurpy.  The important thing is to get them enthusiastic about moving.  I know some of these things you may have never considered  doing with your kids because you are so busy in your own lives making a living, going back to school, and for some of you who have not figured it out that it is NO LONGER ABOUT YOU GOING TO THE CLUB, TRAVELING TO ALL STAR WEEKEND, while you leave your kids in front of these dam video games, did you forget? your kids didn't ask to be born and now that they are here and YOU created them,  FOR WHATEVER REASON, you should do your parental duties and entertain them, and encourage them to get up and get moving and stimulate their brains while you are at it. 
The thing about kids ladies and gentlemen,  YOU CAN'T PUT KIDS ON PAUSE and say stay 6 until mommy/daddy  has time to enjoy you, or  until mommy/daddy  gets their master's degree and/or  have time to take you to these places.  Naw.... kids grow and change and for many,  parents just don't have the time nor energy to spend  this critical bonding time with them.  But if you can make time to go to the Essence music festival, watch football EVERY SUNDAY WITH YO BOYS, going on ski trips, or boys weekend in Vegas, or going  to happy hour with your girls or even time to get your hair and nails done, why not invest that same time into the most valuable asset you have, YOUR KIDS? 
You should know this AINT NO DRESS REHEARSAL!!!.....And when your kids are grown you can't get the time back, you can't REWIND OR DO OVER..  So enjoy your kids, AND..... remember to be kind to your children, As I have told my dear mother, you better be nice TO YOUR CHILDREN because.... ULTIMATELY..... YOUR KIDS  WILL BE THE ONES TO DECIDE WHAT OLD FOLKS/ RETIREMENT  HOME YOU GO INTO. (smile) And that's real talk!!!!