My kids didn't do their summer homework. I don't regret how we spent our break, but I still feel slightly guilty.

• I planned to work all summer on core skills with my kids. • We didn't stick to daily practice, but we did do a lot of out-of-the-box learning. • I don't regret how we spent the summer, but I still feel slightly guilty as the school year starts.

My daughter is in first grade and comes from a long line of late readers, so I tried not to worry about her low reading test scores at the end of the year. Still, I agreed she could use some extra practice, and at the end of the school year, I looked her teacher directly in the eye and promised I'd do what I could to help improve her reading skills over the summer.

A few minutes later, I waved goodbye to my sixth grader's teacher, thanking her for helping him gain better confidence in math.

"I'll drill his multiplication and division facts