Sitting on the dock at my grandparents’ summer home on Lake of the Ozarks, I watch my kids climb carefully down the ladder and into the still water. Realizing the temperature is that of a lukewarm bath and secure in the knowledge that their lifejackets will keep them afloat, they gain confidence and paddle their arms and legs. As they feel their bodies move through the water, pure joy crosses their sun-kissed faces. “Mommy! We’re in the lake with the fishies!” trill the twins, giggling. “Look at me, Mom! I’m swimming out to Daddy!” reports CJ, smiling as he finds his father in the water.

As I praise, encourage and call out the occasional caution to my kids, I feel a delicious sense of deja vu. Anywhere else, this would have been a wonderful day with the family. But because it is here, in the Ozarks, the place in which I experienced all the same great memories, the day has more meaning than other family moments. I am re-living my childhood right before my eyes. I am watching my children splash and jump in the lake just as I did during summers there as a child. And I realize that seeing my kids enjoy themselves is even more fun than when I did it myself.

Other parents say they feel the same way. There is something about sharing the positive summer experiences you had as a child with your own kids that makes you feel warm. It’s the feeling you get when you share confidences with a trusted friend or when you help someone in need. You feel different than you did before and are changed by the experience.

Shel Franco is the mother of three children: two boys and a girl. She recently took her family to Brockway, Penn., for the "Old-Fashioned Fourth of July" celebration. “It's something I have been doing since I was a baby," Franco says. "My mother was born and raised there. Her family still lives there. Until this past weekend, I had never shared that experience with my children – not even my husband. It was amazing.”

Franco and her family joined in the festivities and created family memories she will always cherish. “At 10 a.m. on the Fourth, we walked over to the local pond to let the boys participate in a children's fishing contest,” she says. “I fished in that very same contest, that very same pond, more times than I can remember. Even though I never caught a fish, it was such a thrill. Would you believe that my 4-year-old son, Luc, caught an 18-inch catfish! He never fished before. His eyes were as big as saucers. When we took the fish to be measured, they told us to come back at noon. Well, at noon, Luc was announced as the first-place winner! He took home a huge trophy. I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.”

Jessica Williams is the mother of three boys. Raising her children where she grew up is one way she ensures happy memories. “One of the reasons my husband, Brian, and I moved to Montana was because I grew up here and I wanted my kids to have the same type of easy-going childhood I had,” she says. “One of my favorite things to do in the summer is take the kids up the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. My parents used to take us every summer. It's a spectacular drive with many hiking areas and waterfalls along the way.”

Elaine Klein is the mother of three girls. Her summer tradition as a child was camping in Eagle River, Wis., and she looks forward to sharing that with her kids. “There's nothing like the birch trees and campfires (and homemade fudge and salt water taffy)!” she says. “We're taking all three girls up in August for the first time.”

However you spend your summer, take some time to share your favorite childhood activities with your kids. In doing so, you create positive memories for your children to share with their own kids!

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