The school year is finally coming to an end in the part of NH where I live. Due to a nasty ice storm in December, the school year was extended by several days.

Thanks to the economy, I have been very fortunate to be able to spend the last 10 weeks with my youngest son. I pulled him out of preschool in April to home school and save an additional $150/week.

This week is our last week together.

Unfortunately, the 10 weeks did not go as planned. I was not able to do any homeschooling. Business has been increasing since the spring. I have turned prospects away so that I could maintain some normality to my schedule.

I have tried to stick to taking Fridays off. My son and I have gone to the Children’s Museum, Seacoast Science Center, lunch with daddy, trips to the mall to play on the sea creature playground, etc. These days have been so special. Just me and him spending quality time together.

Our 10 weeks are over, he is going to summer camp and starting Kindergarten in the fall. He is my last baby…….Thinking about it last night after a long day and night was too much for me.

I will never take for granted the good fortune I have experienced being a mom entrepreneur. The precious time I have been given to spend with my children – attend every school play, assembly, sporting event, school field trip, graduation, etc. – is truly a gift.

Traci Bisson has been a mom since February 2000 and an entrepreneur since August 2000. Eight weeks after she returned from maternity leave, the company where she had been employed for five years went out of business. She decided to try doing her own thing and failed miserably. After another year of working for two different companies (the first laid off the department she worked in and the other was showing signs of going under), she decided to try entrepreneurship again. Raising her two children and growing her company, Bisson Barcelona, has been both challenging and rewarding. Her story has been told in dozens of publications, including the Associated Press, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.com), Plan Ahead Get Ahead (cover story), Union Leader, The Portsmouth Herald, Our Times and Seacoast Ventures.

With summer vacation in full swing, many parents spend hours trying to figure out where to send their kids so that they don’t have to deal with them. My hunch is that many of these parents also view school as some sort of glorified babysitting service. For them school is not a place to send your children to develop their minds and gain the information needed to be a productive adult, rather it’s a way to get your kids out of the house for 6-7 hours.

Without the pressure of school, parents should use the summer break to forge stronger relationships with their children. For working parents, things tend to be a bit more laid back in the summer anyway, so why not take off from work a couple hours early and do something fun with the kids? Beth Lynne likes the idea of teaching the kids some home economics, as both a way for them to get some practical knowledge as as a bonding method. She says, ” Cooking with a child can be a fun and very rewarding experience. Teaching a child to cook will result in a lifelong valuable skill.”

You may want to include your child in the planning process. Let them choose an activity for the family to do. This will make them feel like an important part of the family ( which of course they are), and make them feel that their opinion is valued. 

Some quality time with the kids will also help build their self confidence as well as keep them off the street. It gives you a way to impart some of your value system to your children in a fun and friendly way. Have a good summer!

Aaron Katsman is Managing Editor of the Israel Opportunity Investor newsletter. He is lead portfolio manager for the Israel Growth Portfolio and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. For more information, go to www.israelnewsletter.com , or email aaron@profile-financial.com.