Bessie Lou's Blog

Camp

Bessie Lou, in case camp is not an option, keep them busy. My 12 year old is going to camp and volunteering at night. But, she likes to sew and do arts and crafts... so these are a couple of options. And they can be done at home, without having to worry about who can drive.


A STITCH IN TIME: Make blankets for infants and small children. An all-volunteer organization called Project Linus is looking for persons willing to create blankets for kids in distressed situations, particularly pediatric cancer patients. The blankets may be sewn, woven, crocheted, knitted, or quilted, and size doesn't matter. You can do the work at home and on your own schedule. Minimum age = none. Contact: Sally Burns at (281)492-2679


ANOTHER STITCH, ANOTHER TIME: Sew pillow ponies for children whose families have lost their homes and belongings due to flood, fire, or other disaster. These little stuffed animals are the delight of kids who too often have no other toys to play with. The ponies are made of scrap cloth and require only basic sewing skills to assemble. The American Red Cross can provide you with the pattern. Minimum age= none. Call: 713-313-1647

MAKE GREETING CARDS at home for a program that sponsors volunteer visits to institutional shut-ins on a number of holidays throughout the year. No special skills are required. This can be a fun assignment for individuals or for parents and their children. Involvement can be on a one-time, occasional, or ongoing basis. Click here for additional information about making the cards (and a list of locations where they can be dropped off)

your first mistake is saying that they "need to be entertained". need? entertained? maybe it's the old-fashioned way i was brought up or something.... but instead of entertaining them, how about putting them to work? ever hear of "doing chores"? you know, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, pulling weeds in the gareden, etc...... if they are teens, then they are old enough to earn their place in the household. can't understand why that worked for so many generations and now it's no good anymore.....

Between jobs, my daughter volunteers at the library and she will soon be volunteering at Humble Area Assistance Ministries.

Buy them season passes to Six Flags Astroworld thats what my parents did for me as a teen