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It's that time of the year again when working parents are faced with the dilemma of what to do with their school age children while they are working. For many the talk of school twelve months a year is an option that would solve this problem once and for all. Since this hasn't come to pass in most of the county let's look at some of the ways that parents are preparing to survive the summer.

Isabelle Esteves is the mother of three grown children who has been working full time for over 30 years. "The first year that I worked during the summer I asked my mother in law to watch the children for me. My own mother was still working full time and was unable to help me. This is was not the ideal solution but it was inexpensive and I knew that the children would be well cared for." Many families resort to using other family members to help to bridge the summer day care situation. In some cases a barter system may work where there is an exchange of services. Other mothers can also be a valuable resource. Networking with other families who have children in your neighborhood is a good way to trade babysitting time.

Kasey Salvas is a full time working mother of four sons ranging in ages from 6 to 15. "My employer has been very good about allowing me to have flex time so that I can take care of my children during the summer. They let me work short hours in the office and then work from home. This allows me to supervise the children, drop them off for play dates and to take advantage of programs offered in our town. In a pinch I can bring the three younger children into the office with a DVD player and let them watch movies in the conference room. I would not be able to afford full time daycare all summer for the three of them so I am very grateful to my boss for allowing me to continue to work and be a good mother as well."

Camp is the refuge of the wealthy but most average family will find it beyond their means to do full time summer camp. Don't write it off completely though, there are scholarships available. Especially if you have more than one child it may be possible to qualify for one. Don't wait until the last minute to look into all the opportunities there are available in your area. Consider camps run by local organizations like the YMCA and 4H and the Girl and Boy Scouts.

May local churches run at least a half day bible school during the summer months. You don't need to belong to the church to send your children to their bible schools. The cost is usually minimal and

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