Column van work-at-home expert Liz Folger

Making money during the summer months

It comes at the hottest time of the year, making you already a little.... how would I say.... irritable? Then add to it that your kids are on summer vacation. Since you are your own boss, you may be able to cut back on the work you decide to take on during the summer months, but the truth is, you're still going to have to do some work to keep your business going.

The question is sometimes posed to me: "How do I deal with my business and my kids during the Summer?" The following ideas come from my book, "The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To Making Money", and I've added a few new ones.

Ideas To Keep Your Kids Busy During The Summer

* Send your kids to a one or two week summer camp.

* Sign them up for a day camp program in your area. A good place to start looking is with your local parks and recreation program. Also check your local parenting publications for summer activities.

* Look in to the various vacation bible school programs.

* Send the kids on a mini-vacation to their grandparents.

* Take a family vacation so you can all have a much-needed break from school and work.

* Set up craft times. This will take some planning on your part. Check out books with craft ideas like "Crafts to Make in the Summer" by Kathy Ross for ages 4-8. If your kids are old enough, they may be able to work on their own. o Get your kids excited about running their own home business. Lemonade stands are not a thing of the past. I know because I've seen several of them this summer already, run by -- you guessed it -- kids. But that isn't the only way a kid can make money. There are a few great books out there for children who'd like to start their own business. "Girl Boss" by Stacy Kravetz and Amy Inouye and "The Kids Guide to Money" by Steve Otfinoski.

* One mom suggests you schedule each day of the week with something to do. It can be as simple as laundry day, library day, mall day, museum day, have a friend over day, take the kids to the pool day, cookie making day; just include chores that need to get done and activities the kids enjoy doing. That way there's always something to do, and you don't have to hear, "But there's nothing to do today, MOM," nearly as much.

With just about anything, organization is key to success. The more organized you are to your approach to summer, the happier your kids will be and the more work you can get done on your business. Yes, it's true, you may not get as much done on your business during the summer months as you'd like. But being there for your kids, doing projects together and spending time with your family will always make an impact on the lives of your children. Would you rather have them remember you always saying, "Not now kids, I'm working." Or "So what should we do together today?"

Additional Summer Resources Summer:

• Creative Activities for Young Children (Tiny Hands) by Ann Galera Bassachs, Monica Marti I. Garbayo, Isabel Sanz Muelas
• The Kids Summer Games Book by Jane Drake and Ann Love (ages 4-8) The Kid's Summer Handbook by Jane Drake and Ann Love (ages 9-12)
• Summer Science Projects (Seasonal Science Projects Series) by John Williams
• Summertime Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family by Sara Perry, Jonelle Weaver
• Making Summer Count: Activities to Help Your Family Play, Work, & Serve Together by Joyce Heinrich, Annette Heinrich Laplaca