Good summer activities help our kids grow

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

A few Sundays ago, a friend and I were walking through one of Washington's residential neighborhoods when we happened upon a little girl selling lemonade from a homemade stand in front of her house. We bought two cups -- for 5 cents apiece.

"How's business?" I asked the little girl.

"It's great," she said. "You're my first customers ever."

The girl couldn't have been more than five to six, but there she was, renewing that time-honored (and vanishing) tradition of American children: spending a hot summer afternoon peddling lemonade to thirsty adults and taking pride in doing something all by herself. My visit with the little girl brought back memories of the ways my brothers and I spent summer days while we were growing up.

We were blessed to live in a community that provided lost of summer activities for children. School cafeterias and playgrounds were open in the morning for arts and crafts projects and vigorous games of scatterball and kickball. Teenagers hired by the recreational district ran these programs, and all during grade school, I dreamed of becoming one of those supervisors and having a whistle of my own.

Finally, when I turned 13, I was eligible to apply for a position. It was my first real job besides baby-sitting. I had to be interviewed by Mr. O.K Wilson, a former coach, who ran the summer activities. I can still remember his questions about whether I would take good care of the equipment I'd be given. I swore to guard those bats, balls and board games with my life.

So I was hired. The only trouble with my assignment was that the school was about two miles from my home. My mother didn't drive at the time, which meant I had to get to and from work by bike. Worse, I had to carry my equipment with me.

First, I tried balancing the bag on my bike. That was a no go. Then, I put the bag in our old red wagon and tied the handle to my bike seat. I quickly discovered that I couldn't steer. So I ended up walking and pulling the wagon behind me. Finally, arrived at the playground, which was filled with kids who wanted to climb on my lap, challenge me to endless rounds of jacks or checkers, or beg me to join in fames of volleyball. (In these games, the ball rarely cleared the net.)

After lunch, my brothers and I headed for the local swimming pool. I hung out there with my friends for hours, swimming, gossiping and trying to catch the lifeguards' attention. The pool emptied out by closing time because we all had to be home for dinner. I had to set the table and help my mom. After dinner, we were out the door again to play until dark.

Thinking back on those summers past, I realize that our days were filled with activities organized by a whole community of caring adults and teenagers. Too many kids today don't have that help. Instead, they have too much free time and too little supervision. It's a situation that often leads to trouble.

That's why I'm heartened to see efforts in some of our communities that provide our children with productive and safe outlets for their energies.

Under Mayor Bob Lanier, the city of Houston has started soccer leagues and golf instruction for kids, built parks and playgrounds, and supported a variety of youth programs.

Curfews can also be an effective tool for keeping our children safe, especially when they are part of a larger strategy of programs for young people. Two years ago in New Orleans, Mayor Marc Morial declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew for children under 17. Curfew violators are sent to centers staffed by counselors, law enforcement officers, and religious and medical professionals. There, the children and their parents (who are required to meet their children at the center) are counseled about the curfew violation. The counselors help get parents and children to talk to each other more directly about their problems.

After the first year of the curfew -- part of a comprehensive effort to combat juvenile crime that included more summer recreation programs and new summer jobs for young people -- youth crime dropped by 27 percent during the hours it was in effect.

While the causes and solutions to juvenile crime are many, they all begin with adults. Each of us has the responsibility to do something to prevent our children from doing harm to themselves and to others.

With hot summer days now upon us, maybe we can come up with some new ways to recreate the secure, fun and creative environment my brothers and I and so many of our peers enjoyed during our childhood. Our kids deserve nothing less.

-- Creators Syndicate