Post by countthestars on Feb 21, 2020 7:56:28 GMT -5
It's that time of year again where I obsess about what my kid is going to do all summer!
If you have school aged children, tell me what you do for summer care. Do you choose one camp and use it all summer? A mix of a couple of different camps (ex. 3 weeks at camp X, 2 weeks at camp Y, 2 weeks at camp Z)? Hire a nanny?
DD's summer break is almost 10 weeks. There is a summer program through our school that runs for 6 weeks in the middle. You used to be able to choose specific days, so we did that camp 2 days per week last summer and had a babysitter the other two work days per week (I am off on Fridays). She liked it okay, but the new rule is full weeks only and I'm nervous about signing her up for 6 full weeks - what if she hates it? There are a bunch of other camps that people have recommended to me that also look great, but I've got the same hesitation around signing her up for a full summer of something we don't know yet personally. On the flip side, I can't imagine it would be fun for her to have to acclimate herself into a new camp every week. And what if everyone there does the full summer and she's coming in half way through? She isn't the type to just jump right into a group of kids she doesn't know.
Many kids here have stay at home parents so they don't use summer camp. I'm going to reach out to a few friends with working parents to see where they're off to this summer so she'd have someone familiar to be with.
What do you do? What has worked best? And side note, is it only here that there are NO camp options for the first and last week of summer? Does everyone take the week off?
Post by Velar Fricative on Feb 21, 2020 8:07:14 GMT -5
We are in NYC, where the school year ends around June 28th each year. At most camps we’ve explored, camp starts the Monday after school ends. So sometimes there’s only a weekend separating the last day of school and start of camp, and sometimes several days. Both summer camp and daycare are closed the week leading to Labor Day. This year Labor Day is super late so camp is actually done two weeks before Labor Day. It would really suck if not for the fact that DH is a teacher and summer school ends in mid-August so he can be home (and I always take a vacation week leading into Labor Day anyway).
Anyway, DD2 is still in daycare and going there over the summer but DD1 will go to YMCA summer camp. This will be her second year there. It’s fine; I feel like other camps do more but they are more expensive (and the Y isn’t cheap either, but we do get a membership discount), but I’m happy with the activities they do (swimming every day, outdoor/gym activities, writing workshops, etc.). Most importantly, it’s convenient for us since it’s walking distance from home. I always have to do dropoff for both kids so convenience wins out. I’m not driving across the island to drop her off at a better camp when I have to go to work too. This is also why we don’t switch her up with different camps every few weeks. Also, we need morning care and not all camps offer extended hours. I’d kill for her to go to the camp at her school that is super cheap but there are no extended hours and it only runs until very early August.
We also have limited camp options for the first and last weeks of summer. I pay our regular teen babysitter $100/day for those 2 weeks, so, that's not a super affordable option.
The rest of the summer the kids go to the same day camp every day. It's a pretty old school summer camp. There's a pool so there are daily swim lessons and a daily free swim; arts and crafts; songs; etc.
Last summer the majority was spent at the summer camp her before/after care runs. It was great because it was county wide so she got to hang with both friends from her own school and friends from soccer/daycare who had gone to other elementary schools. They do 4 field trips, had a talent show, water days, etc. Really great programming.
She also did 1 week with my parents at their house doing a 1/2 day art camp at the local community college. Their community college is amazing and has had a "kids in college" program since I was a kid. She loved that as well and made lots of different things over the 5 days.
We're planning the same this summer before/after care wise. She may end up spending a few more weeks at the beach since my parents are building near us and may sell their house this spring. Once they're down here I plan to ask them to help us with some local day camps that just don't work with working parents time wise. Sure a 9:30 start sounds great Karen considering I start work at 7:30.
Post by minniemouse on Feb 21, 2020 8:30:06 GMT -5
Ugh...I need to start working on this too. I find it more stressful then the holidays. We do a mix of camps, grandparent days, family vacation and fill in the remainder with days they are home while I work from home. My goal is to have both girls at the same camps this year to avoid 2 pickup/drop offs.
We usually do most weeks at the local YMCA for consistency. I usually let each of the kids pick one week at a specialty camp. The problem with the specialty camps (Zoo, STEAM, Museum, etc) is that they aren’t full-day camps. So irritating.
We do camp all summer at our local rec center. The kids also did one week at their grandparents.
Last year DS did his first year of sleep away camp (1 week), and this year DD will join him.
This year, DD is also doing 4 days of Girl Scout camp located at the same place as the rec camp.
We sometimes have gaps at the end of the school year due to snow days. Not this year thankfully, and the school district is going to e- learning days for snow days. Then we have a 2 day gap before school starts which I take off. I talked to the before/after care company, and it sounds like no gap this year.
There are options that cover the entire summer here (Houston area). The Y, Lifetime Fitness, and the school district all run popular all day camps for a reasonable cost. I'm always surprised that this isn't the norm.
I'm a SAHM so I don't need all day camp but for my own sanity I do need some half day options. This year we are doing a week of sports camp (basketball/volleyball/soccer combo), a few days of art camp, a few days of sewing classes, and maybe a musical theater camp. We are taking a long vacation this summer so that eats up most of our summer budget. I'm hoping a lot of her friends will be around.
Post by thebreakfastclub on Feb 21, 2020 9:14:14 GMT -5
My 7yo attends the summer camp run by his daycare, so it's very seamless to us. They do a lot of field trips, go swimming, etc. He really enjoys it. We have our vacation week in July and then he'll spend a week at my mom's in August, so he's in camp for 10 wks.
When he ages out of that, he'll do YMCA camp or community rec camp. Both are open 7-6 so it works well for working parents. We pay $200 a week.
My 7yo attends the summer camp run by his daycare, so it's very seamless to us. They do a lot of field trips, go swimming, etc.
Next year will be my first school aged kid summer (2021), between K and 1st for DD. Our daycare does a summer camp for school age kids and I'm really hoping she will be amenable so I can have her and her then-2 yo brother in the same drop off.
It doesn't sound like you had any resistance from your son to going "backward" to where he did daycare? That was the only part I was worried about her protesting. Ours does swim lessons, tennis, etc. with the school age kids, so it seems nice. And obviously we're comfortable with the program after sending 2 kids, and being there for 4 years at this point.
Oh gosh I'm already stressed about this. E1 will be off this summer for the first time. I think we're going to hire a nanny for the summer for both boys, and look up short term camps for E1 for enrichment.
We have done the same camp for all/most of the summer before. Most of those types of camps are very big, though, and my kids just didn't love them. They were also very expensive.
THe last few years we hired a college student, with mixed success. Overall it was great for me because my kids are late sleepers and it was much easier for me to let them sleep in, not have to worry about packing lunches, etc. It was also much cheaper. We paid $100/day. Most camps around here are roughly $100/day PER KID, so hiring the nanny was about half price. We joined the pool, encouraged them to go to the library and parks, etc to break up their day.
In addition, my older one has done 1 week of sleepaway camp each summer, they both go to VBS at our school, and one year my younger one did an additional half day camp through the school.
Generally camps end 2 weeks before school opens (and also the college nannies go back to school). If you really dig, there are a few places that offer options those last two weeks. Having said that, none of them were a full workday. I made them work because 1. I worked directly next door and my kids sat in my office the last hour of the day, and/or 2. I only worked till 3:30 anyway, so if I had to leave to pick up the kids at 3 it wasn't the end of the world. It would have been muchharder for someone with a 9-5 schedule.
Post by pinkpeony08 on Feb 21, 2020 9:38:34 GMT -5
This is super stressful to figure out. We were panicked that our plan (small camp associated with our after school daycare program) wasn't going to have space for my part time kids and didn't know what else we were going to do! Thankfully, they got in. But there is an email chain going around for our Girl Scout troop- sharing what everyone's kids are doing this summer. It's helping to find some more ideas. There is also discussion of sharing kids the week the programs are closed- so people don't have to take the whole week off, only a day or two but would have extra kids. Do you know people in your area who might be willing to share kids?
Post by lovelyshoes on Feb 21, 2020 9:38:40 GMT -5
I am annoyed about summers, it’s always a pain between camp, swim and aftercare. It’s also expensive and ends the second week of august, so 3 weeks before school starts. My oldest is now aged out of regular day camp, but because of sports he can’t do the camp which takes daily trips. I want him to do it, but his coach will give him a hard time and therefore he doesn’t want to do it. I wish we could send him to sleep away camp for a month. He would love it and I think it would be great for him. We have always done the same camp all summer. If you’re worried about boredom, do half the summer in one and half at the other. There’s no way to predict what she will like and I think a lot depends on a counselor and the kids she becomes friends with.
Summer camp uses up way too much of my brain power each year! I start a spreadsheet in December and sign up by the end of February - camps fill up quickly. I have two kids, 3 years apart and it's a struggle to find camps they can attend together as I now have a middle schooler and an elementary aged kid. I try to do just one or two weeks where they go to separate camps. I almost exclusively do drop off and DH does pick up. They have a few camps through the local Parks and Rec they really like so I sign them up for multiple sessions of each one. If your daughter likes the 6 week camp - do it! It's a hassle to have to do the paperwork for a different camp each week, figure out their expectations on what you need to bring, and for her to get acclimated to them. It's a gamble that she will be happy there for 6 weeks, but she's been before and liked it, so a low stakes gamble. Good luck!
All three will go to grandma's for 3 weeks in July.
This sounds amazing.
ETA: I assumed Grandma is out of town and they stay there, but then realized that might not be the case. I can't wait to send my kids away for more than just a night at a time. Ha.
Yeah week of Memorial Day and week before school starts there are no camps. They rely in college students to staff camps and they aren’t available then. Many take those weeks off and/or go on vacation then.
All three will go to grandma's for 3 weeks in July.
This sounds amazing.
ETA: I assumed Grandma is out of town and they stay there, but then realized that might not be the case. I can't wait to send my kids away for more than just a night at a time. Ha.
haha yes grandma is out of town, but I;ll be out of the country so that's why they're going so I feel like I don't truly get to enjoy it
He will do the summer program for school age kids at the same place my youngest goes to preschool. It is also where he goes for before and after care, so it is already familiar to him. They do a couple field trips each week. It is so nice just having one pick up/drop off, and I didn't realize until reading this thread how much less stress this option is.
I’m a SAHM but the kids do camp. It differed based on kid. DS1 (almost 13) always pretty much did one camp the whole summer - there was a big group of his friends that all went to the same camp and we just stuck with it. He now does overnight camp. DS2 (almost 8) is a little needier in certain ways so we do a mix of camps for him.
This summer the kids get out of school the end of June. DS1 starts overnight camp and is there for 7 weeks. DS2 has half a week off to chill, then does 2 weeks at a traditional “camp” (swimming, sports, lots of activities etc), then 2 weeks of art camp. Then we have a week long trip, back to art camp for a week, then we pick up DS1 from camp. Another half week to chill and then we have a two week trip.
Summer camp is always stressful I feel - expensive, harder to coordinate drop offs and pick ups, different kids in different camps, working around trips when a lot of camps have two week block minimums etc. It can be a mess!
Oh and camps all end in mid August but school doesn’t start until September. So yes everyone is scrambling the last two weeks of August. We travel then but we know we are lucky we can do thar. People either take off or cobble together babysitting etc. It’s difficult.
I am a SAHM now. A lot of people around here seem to do what you did last year--a mix of a college-kid summer nanny, and part-time at the local rec dept "camp"/child care sites. My BIL & SIL have a nice option b/c their employer offers summer child care programs. They do have to cover a few weeks at the end summer, though, and they cobble that together between taking days off, the grandmas, and me. I think one week they usually do a gymnastics day camp.
Post by somersault72 on Feb 21, 2020 10:05:26 GMT -5
I'm very lucky in that ex-H is a teacher so he's off most of the summer, but we've still done camps. Our zoo has a wonderful camp, he did a week of that every year from 5-10. Our museum has an OK one too with different themes, he did the Harry Potter one once. He also stays a week in late July or early August with his grandparents.
We do a mix: this summer it will be me off for two weeks, my parents coming to stay with us for two weeks, and six weeks of camp. For the camps, he'll do six different ones. I have five out of the six booked already; if I don't have it done by mid-February we usually end up on a waiting list.
My kids (12, 8, 4) will go to their grandparents 3 days a week. The other 2 days, I work from home half the day, so the first half (9-12) we are going to let them stay home alone. Our neighbors are all either teachers or retired, so lots of adults nearby in case something comes up. This is the first time we are doing this, so we will see how it goes. Having my nephew babysit is our back up option in case this doesn't work out.
Post by bookqueen15 on Feb 21, 2020 10:27:08 GMT -5
Last summer before my DD entered kindergarten, we did a variety of different specialty camps (gymnastics, swimming, music, aquarium) and she really loved the variety so we're doing that again this year. It helps that I have time off for part of the summer, so it makes it easier to do different camps each week. There are also a ton of different camp options where we live too. Some camps she'll do half day and some are full day.
I am signing up for two where she could go there for multiple weeks but she's just doing one week at each this summer. I can see what she likes best and then maybe next summer she can do multiple weeks if she wants to but since she really enjoyed doing different camps last summer we're going to stick with that again for this summer.
My kids (12, 8, 4) will go to their grandparents 3 days a week. The other 2 days, I work from home half the day, so the first half (9-12) we are going to let them stay home alone. Our neighbors are all either teachers or retired, so lots of adults nearby in case something comes up. This is the first time we are doing this, so we will see how it goes. Having my nephew babysit is our back up option in case this doesn't work out.
It will likely be okay. My first summer staying home with my younger sisters, I was 12 and they were 9 (almost 10) and 5 (almost 6). Then at 13, I had my younger sisters and my baby cousin.