Dearest Libby,

Summer is officially here in Seattle.  The sun is shining (finally!), the temperatures are hitting the 90s, and the kids are all out of school.  Its rainy and grey here so much during the year – people always want to know how we stand it. But I tell you: it’s for these next three months, during which Seattle is the most glorious city. 

With June out of school, the pressure is on as an involved parent to get her out of the house and into as many activities as possible.  Why is that?  I remember my early childhood summers being spent at home, riding my bike, playing with toys, eating homemade popsicles (my mom literally just froze juice in tupperware containters and we were too dumb to know the difference).  And I've read that a little boredom is good for kids - it forces them to develop their imagination. But now, if you don’t have your kid in music, art, and x-game training by the time they are walking, somehow, you are behind.   I am, of course, so very skeptical of it all, but not so much that I haven’t fallen victim to the pressure: hence, June’s Teeny Tennis Camp.

This is a “camp” filled with 3, 4 and 5 year olds who are “learning” to “play tennis.”  It’s a week long activity, with daily sessions that last 45 minutes.  Let me give you the list of reasons why this whole thing is ridiculous.