Maintaining family sanity as summer winds down

It's the middle of August, countdown to the first day of school. The kids have finished up their summer sports. They've been to camp. The family has taken its vacation.

Now everyone is bored. They're tired of the heat and the mosquitoes and the bees. Whining has replaced regular conversation.

What's a family to do? Consider these creative solutions:

Start the transition: More daylight in summer means staying up and sleeping in. It's fun while it lasts, but getting up for school will be a chore unless the kids start now to ease into the school year schedule.

If the kids currently go to bed at 1...