During the summer, the familiar refrain of "I'm bored!" might waft through the house every so often, especially when it's too hot or rainy to go outside. But aside from catering to your child's every whim and becoming his or her entertainer, what can you do to help them keep their sanity - and preserve your own, too? Try getting them to read more. Older kids may have the responsibility to do summer reading as a part of the school curriculum, and the sooner they start, the better. Spacing out the reading assignments will keep them from approaching reading assignments with anxiety and gives them the time they need to figure out word meanings and to digest the story. Ideally, you should introduce books to your child when she's a baby. Babies who are old enough to play with toys will learn to open and close books, look at the pictures and begin to recognize letters.