The importance of the great River of Grass will probably escape most young kids, but it doesn't hurt to plant that seed early and often.

So we headed west to take an airboat ride over the weekend. This is about as easy an introducation to the Everglades as you can get. Including drive time, you can do it in two and a half or three hours. Our 11-year-old daughter really enjoyed the outing, but we left our grumpy teenager behind. ("That's boring." Whatever.)

We went to Everglades Holiday Park, but there are other options.

This campground/tourist attraction is just west of Weston on Griffin Road, past U.S. 27. (Be sure to go to the website to print out a coupon.) There's a snack stand (gator bites!), a kitschy gift shop and, after the hourlong airboat ride, an alligator wrestling show.

The gator handler gives a little history lesson, and explains why the Seminoles no longer have to resort to wrestling (blackjack, anyone?). Then he demonstrates a few different ways of subduing the very big gator. And, for an extra $5, you can hold a baby alligator and snap a picture. Awwww.

The main event, though, is the airboat ride. Boats go out every 20 minutes or so, and carry 20 or 30 people for an hourlong tour. The biggest surprise? No mosquitoes! And it wasn't too hot either, especially when we were moving over the water. Our driver, Deborah, took off with a blast -- "zoom, zoom, zoom." (Bring earplugs if you are very sensitive.) She slowed down to gives us ecological lessons. We saw vultures and gators and plenty of birds.

This is Everglades 101. It doesn't take the energy or time of a canoe ride out of Flamingo or a bike ride through Shark Valley. We've done that, too, but it's been years. In fact, Erika doesn't even remember Shark Valley (we took the very-informative tram ride and saw TONS of alligators), so we really have to put that back on our list of things to do.

PHOTO: Sun Sentinel/Michael Laughlin

I didn’t have my daughter with me, but I was still immediately put off.

While I know kids can be loud and sometimes put up a fuss in salons, it’s downright demeaning for business owners to ban them, formally or informally. It’s a salon not a strip club.

As a single parent, you don’t necessarily want to hire a baby-sitter every time you need to get your hair done. I take my daughter with me most places—get togethers, the theater, late-night runs to Starbucks.

I loved that in France you’d see couples dining late at night with their toddlers.

I came across an interesting article the other day that said some moms in Africa couldn’t stand to put their babies in a stroller because the babies felt too far from their bodies.

Yet, here, people expect you to pawn your kids off on baby-sitters and other folks so they can have their adult-only wedding, adult-only birthday party, adult-only salon.

Give me a break!

Here are six shows in the tri-county that seem worthy of the trek. If you know of a Fourth of July festivity that uniquely caters to kids and their parental units, let me know.

All events listed are on July 4.

In Broward County:

Davie: Cool off at 10 a.m. with a free family splash pool party featuring a DJ. Plus World War I and II military equipment show, bounce houses, climbing wall and free birthday cake. Purchase food or bring your own; grills and tables available. Country music group Shadow Creek kicks off festivities at 6 p.m. in the ball fields, fireworks at 9 p.m. Pine Island Park, 3800 SW 92nd Ave. davie-fl.gov. 954-797-1163, 954-797-1000.

Get to Vista View Park early to get the best seats to see fireworks displays across Broward County. Bring beach chairs and blankets. Food vendors on site. 6-11 p.m. at 4001 SW 142nd Ave. $5 per vehicle or $1.50 for walk-ins, bicycles and motorcycles. 954-327-8797.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea: Beach Blast begins with a parade at 10 a.m., headed north on Bougainvillea from Town Hall to Pine Avenue. Join the fun 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at El Prado Park, El Prado and El Mar drives. Amusement park, classic car show, DJ and steel drum music. Fireworks shot off at the beach at El Prado Drive at 8:30 p.m. 954-772-3336.

In Miami-Dade County:

Coconut Grove: The All-Day Celebration kicks off with an old-fashioned picnic 11 a.m. at the Barnacle house. Lawn games, kite-making and knot-tying demonstrations are highlights. 305-442-6866. Scavenger hunt registration begins 2:15 p.m. at Mayfair Passage, Grand Avenue near Mary Street.

Hot dog eating contest happens 4:30 p.m. at CocoWalk. Concert featuring bands Ryan Stone Music, First October, JT4 and Campo Deluxe Jazz Quartet will be 4 p.m. at Peacock Park, fireworks at 9 p.m. 2820 McFarlane Road. 305-444-7270.

Miami: America's Birthday Bash includes 3-7 p.m. Kids' Zone with inflatable slides, carousel, hoops and face painting. The park will be open all day. Fireworks over Biscayne Bay at 9 p.m. Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd. 305-358-7550.

In Palm Beach County:

Delray Beach: A sand sculpture contest, bicycle and scooter parade, music, food and fireworks. 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m. at the intersection of A1A and Atlantic Avenue. 561-279-1380 ext. 3.

Wellington: A patriotic pool party with music, games and more from 12-5 p.m. at Aquatics Complex, 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. Games, rides, face painting, food and more from 6-9 p.m., fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Village Park, 11700 Pierson Road. 561-791-4733.

TODAY: It's happy hour, but not that kind, with free admission from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 3 at Young at Art Children's Museum (11584 State Road 84, Davie, 954-424-0085). Activities, stories, refreshments and giveaways are tied to the museum's exhibit, "Alice's Wonderland ... A Most Curious Adventure."

SATURDAY: Rain? Ice? Big difference. Especially when the ice is indoors -- and free! Glacier Ice and Snow Arena (4601 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, 954-943-1437) will have free ice skating from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. There will be music, games and sleigh rides, too. Skate rental is $3, or bring your own.

ANYTIME: The little scientist you're raising might enjoy the Children's Science Explorium at Sugar Sand Park (300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton, 561-347-3913). Currently on display is "Pattern Wizardry," a hands-on exhibit meant to help kids discover how patterns organize and enrich their lives. It's perfect for kids ages 5-12. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Read the story for seven more options for where to go with the kids this weekend.

It could easily have been my story. I remember being a child on the playground behind P.S. 111 in the north Bronx, joined by my friends and cousins setting off fireworks. I held the M-80 in my hand, chuckling as they all screamed at me to throw it. The fuse was getting closer and closer to its target. Finally one of my friends, I forget who, grabbed the firework and hurled it across the empty playground. I can't remember whether it ever hit the ground. The sound and echo of the powerful explosion has never left me.

I don't know that I've ever fully appreciated what happened that day, even after I met Washington Rojas years later, that one time.

Now, I look at my 5-month-old son and his gorgeous little hands. He slaps at my face in that perfectly innocent way babies explore the world around them. I kiss each finger, and I thank God he was born with all his fingers and thumbs and toes. I will do my best to protect him from the foolishness that could so easily have cost me my fingers.

The photo you see here was shot on July 1 by the Broward Sheriff's Office, which offered an annual demonstration on the dangers of fireworks.

I didn't see that demonstration, nor did I need to. I just need to remember the first words I wrote, 14 years ago, in an article in the New York Daily News.

"Washington Rojas used to be left-handed."

Please, have a happy and safe Fourth of July.

The Bonnet House is a Fort Lauderdale jewel. And if you haven't visited, take the kids on one of their family discount days this summer -- July 4, July 18, Aug. 1, Aug. 15.

Admission will be half price for adults ($10, $9 for seniors) and free for kids younger than 12. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The last tour starts at 2:30 p.m.

This is one of my favorite all-time places, here or anywhere. Just off the beach, south of busy Sunrise Boulevard, the Bonnet House is an oasis. The grounds are tropical and lush -- the kids will love looking for the monkeys in the trees. Walking paths take you across a quaint covered bridge (seen in the movie Hoot) over a pond with swans. There's a small shell museum and an orchid house. Walk the path to a view of the beach across A1A.

And the house itself is unique. Built in 1920 by artist Frederic Bartlett as a winter retreat, this house is not like the opulent mansions of Palm Beach. It's casual and livable for a tropical climate, with an inner courtyard, ringed by rooms where art and music were created and enjoyed back in the day.

We took advantage of the discounted rates last year. The guided tour of the house is probably more enjoyable for adults than kids, but my trio of 10 year old girls seemed to enjoy it.

On July 18, they'll have Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream for sale. A percentage of all ice cream sales benefit Bonnet House.

PHOTO: Sun-Sentinel file

I keep hearing my girls sing "Do the Helen Keller." So I asked what it means to "do the Helen Keller," and of course they have no clue. They just like the song.

Here are the obscene lyrics by 3Oh!3:

"Don't trust a ho, never trust a ho
Won't trust a ho cause the ho won't trust me

Shush girl, shut your lips
Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips"

How could any recording company or radio station allow this to get through? Where is the self-censorship? If they sang, "Do the Adolf Hitler and goose-step like a Nazi," would that become a hit too?

But I’d be lying if I said we weren’t proceeding with caution. Figuring out the right time to start, balancing the practice schedule with daily life, and deciding – if it comes to that – when is it OK to quit is enough to send any parent running for the bench.

And let’s not forget those diehard parents who make heckling at a ref at their kid’s Little League game a sport. As I see it, parents fall into one of two categories: Those who want to enroll Little Johnny in a sport for his personal development. (Think learning cooperation, teamwork, responsibility.) Or those that are hoping to groom a star college athlete or Olympian. (Think multiple travel teams, intense pressure, little free time.)

My husband and I definitely fall into the first camp. And we both played competitive sports as children. So we’re no couch potatoes.

There’s a lot to consider before taking the plunge. Here are a few points I’ve found important. Would love to hear some of yours:

"Creed!,'' I heard Lily yell from another room. "Obama smokes!''

"He's the president!'' she said later, reporting this disturbing news to her grandmother. I guess she missed this news story when it came up before his election. But President Obama was re-interviewed on the subject, and admitted he still slips up and smokes now and then. He called himself 95 percent cured.

"He might die!'' was the conclusion that Lily lept to. A conclusion which is true, of course. He certainly will die, eventually.

One of the president's comments was this: “I don't do it in front of my kids,” he said. “I don't do it in front of my family.''

Well he might as welll have just smoked in front of every child in America. I didn't bother with the explanation about the president not being perfect. He is supposed to be a role model, a mere mortal or not.

On another note, I met a guy at the gas station Monday morning who had just run out of gas. It was raining (of course), and he was putting gas into a tiny gas container. I asked if he needed a ride to his car, and he said, "Oh, no, no, no. That's my son over there.'' Then he said he planned to use the drive to his gas-less car to give his son a talking to, because he'd gotten no Father's Day card from him this year.

"I don't care how poor you are,'' the guy said to me. "You can get your dad a Father's Day card.''

Amen to that. (And click here to be reminded about the day that in our household can now be known as I-Didn't-Get-A-Mother's-Day-Card Day.)

Yet, I can understand how it might happen. Many museums are dusty and fusty and so-so serious. No fun at all.

But there are those that take you smack dab to the place where art or history or invention happens. These museums are vivid and memorable and definitely worth a couple hours on your summer vacation.

Any "best of" list would include the Smithsonian, the British Museum, the Louvre. So here are my (other) highlights, for kids AND parents. And yes, I lean toward art and history, not machines. What are your favs?

National Constitution Center, Philadelphia. This is interactive history at its finest. The opening multimedia/theatrical presentation is really moving. Then let the kids run around the exhibit hall to push buttons and pull levers that let them vote, serve on a jury, decide a Supreme Court case. This is a museum that keeps up with history, too. The day we were there, a group of immigrants were being sworn in as citizens.

American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore. You think kids have wild imaginations. OK, maybe some of the artists on display here are a little ...off. But their art sure is fun to look at. This is colorful, crazy, sometimes mind-blowing art that kids can relate to, and adults will puzzle over.

I was in the car with my daughter when I got the news about Michael Jackson.

For me it was personal. Not only did we lose the “King of Pop,” I lost my very first pop icon.

I had the “I Love Michael” buttons. Every inch of my wall was filled with Michael Jackson posters. When my parents bought me my first record player (yes, record player), they threw in the “Super Freak” single by Rick James and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album.

I still love Michael to this day. Despite his tarnished image in the media, I put on “Man in the Mirror” and I feel inspired. And a party just isn’t a party without one or two Michael Jackson jams to close it out.

At least back then I was allowed to just love Michael without having to think about all his personal dilemmas. Too bad our kids aren’t allowed the same luxury.

My daughter already knows Chris Brown did something bad to Rihanna, as she put it. She knows Lindsey Lohan’s battles. And I’ve had to set the record straight on some of the Hannah Montana rumors.

It’s sad that with all the gossip on television and the Internet it’s almost impossible for our kids to embrace an artist for their music and their talent and leave it at that.

Don't get me wrong - every kid is entitled to his or her summer fun and some down time.

But kids that are 16 years old to 18 years old are probably anxious for some work experience, extra money and independence.

In this tough economy - those traditional teen jobs aren't coming easily. One of my son's friends applied to several places that aren't hiring.

Did your teenager line up volunteer work or extra chores instead?

If not, what is he or she doing?

Our guest-blogger Deborah David is struggling with the same decision on how to celebrate a rite of passage.

Deborah is a wife and mother to a six year-old daughter and 19 month-old son. She currently hosts the Balanced Melting Pot, which is a blog she created to share the experience of raising her children as second generation immigrants.

She is the Director of Community Relations & Resource Development for a South Florida non-profit and her interests include social and community development.

Here is her dilemma:

My daughter is just about to complete her first year of Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD).

For you non-Catholics, it’s basically religious education classes that prepare children for their First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Even though we are not devout Catholics, culturally this is a very important milestone for her, as well as the family.

To commemorate this occasions, many Haitians throw lavish parties where family and friends all participate in the celebration. In the past, I have always considered these parties to be over the top and the true meaning of the occasion is often lost.

I envisioned the celebration for our children to be intimate gatherings where close family and friends would be present, as they would for many other momentous occasions.

Well, this sounds good -- in theory. My husband and I are now beginning to develop our invitee list and somehow it just keeps growing. We will think of one person and realize by inviting him/her, you automatically need to invite another four people who are associated and/or family (this has to be another cultural phenomenon).

I think what I will eventually have to come to terms with is that this is going to be big party, whether I want it or not. I am going to choose to look at the positive side and accept that there many people who wish to celebrate this milestone with our family.

Do you have a similar tradition in your culture that you continue to observe?

Also, do you have any suggestions on how to keep this party manageable without offending anyone?

Now let's meet face-to-face.

Join the Moms & Dads bloggers for an afternoon of fun in the sun on Sunday.

We'll swap parenting advice and tales while the kids splash in the water playground or pool. There will be snacks, drinks and giveaways.

THE DETAILS:

When: 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. June 28, 2009

Where: Croissant Park, 245 W. Park Drive, Fort Lauderdale.

How much: FREE

The water playground is for children ages 8 and younger. The pool is for all ages. Children must be in the care of a parent at all times. Bring a swimsuit and towel. Little ones who aren't potty-trained must wear swim diapers.

For more info, call Joy at 954-356-4728.

In "18 Kids and Counting," you can sense some chemistry between the married couple, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. But in "Jon & Kate Plus 8," I could never understand how they loved each other and remained married.

So I'm not at all surprised they revealed on Monday night's show that they are getting divorced. You could see in their body language they almost disdained each other.

Tabloids and blogs have had a field day blaming one or the other. But I believe you could see from the outset that this marriage was not meant to last.