QOTW: Summer camps....

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
QOTW: Summer camps....
16
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 11:02am

QOTW: Our question of the week is about summer camps.


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Community Leader
Registered: 07-26-1999
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 11:16am
I think it partly depends on the individual kid.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 6:14pm

Well, because I work full time there is no "just relaxing" summers. She can't stay home for weeks on end by herself. This summer though she will only be going to one week of sleep away horseback riding camp. We will be gone 3 weeks on vacation and the rest we are going to try with her at home on Monday by herself, then Tues - Thurs at her Dad's, then home again on Friday. I'm sure some of those she'll spend with friends but its something new for us to try. There is a drama camp she'd like to try but it is two weeks and because of the way it falls both our vacation and her other camp cut into it, so probably next year. Its very close to my work. Usually she has gone to the University near my work but they've really cut the camps this year. No photography or drama, pretty much all sports which is not her thing. So we are trying the new method and we'll see what happens.


One of her best friends goes away ALL summer. Its about $10,000 that her grandparents pay. I guess she enjoys it, she and her older brother have been going for years, but I wouldn't want to spend 8 weeks away from her and I think its hard because the girl doesn't get to hang out with her friends in summer at all. She's completely away. So its definitely not for us, Kristen was only interested in overnight camp last summer but I suppose if it works for some families then great. But you hear the horror stories of course of parents who dump their kids and can't wait to get rid of them, but I'm sure that's not everyone.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 6:33pm

I'm a big believer in lazy hazy summers, enough planned to have fun but not so much that they are overscheduled. We've had summers with camps and summers with none, but never more than a few weeks max. We have too much fun on our own, with cousins, swimming in the river and pool, etc, camps can actually eat up too much time sometimes.

Camps vary for us each year, it really just depends on what is available and how it all falls together. Ds has done several sleepover camps in the past, but this year he has none scheduled, though there is a ski camp he'd like to check out, it's pricey though. He's got a week long state rodeo competition coming up, so that will be camp-like in a way, though dad will be with him, and dd and I will be there some too.

Dd has never had a sleepover camp, but she will attend a soccer camp in the mornings for a week. Both kids have an art camp for a week too.

Big issue here is COST, man some camps can be pricey, I've not yet figured out how to afford it!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 7:55pm

Aly chooses a few summer camps each year (not resident, just day camps) to fill in a little bit of the summer, but we still have some "down time" built into the summer for sure.

The 2 she's going to this year are an arts camp and a camp for advanced students in which they can pick the classes and she's going to one class and it's about the Harry Potter books.




Edited 6/2/2008 7:57 pm ET by alygator

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 8:22pm

Since I dont work summers (yay me), we just hang out and have fun. She'll have cheer all summer (she started competitive cheer plus in Aug she'll start practice for school cheer), but other than that, we're pretty relaxed. She hangs out with friends...and since most of her friends parents work, they appreciate the fact that their kids can come here where they know there's an adult home.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2006
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 10:10pm

Hannah is taking a few camps - Tennis, Soccer and one week long - adventure/overnight camp with her youth group.


She prefers to lounge around though. :)


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2006
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 10:57pm
My kids both like to be busy and tend to get on each other's nerves when they're home a lot together. Therefore, we do camps. I'm not trying to dump my kids, I'm trying to have a peaceful, happy family and create memories for them. It's also an opportunity for them to try new things and have some fun. Evan is going to an aquatics day camp (sailing, kayaking, jr. lifeguarding, etc.) for three weeks and Megan is going to a fine arts day camp for 4 weeks. In August they will both go to the same sleep away camp - Evan for two weeks, Megan for 1. Oh, and Megan is going to a horseback riding day camp at my parents for a week in July.
Community Leader
Registered: 12-16-2003
Mon, 06-02-2008 - 11:54pm
I have always mixed it up some.

Ramona  Mom to 2 great kids and wife to one wonderful hubby since 1990!

Avatar for sesamemom98
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 06-03-2008 - 9:31am

I think it depends on the kid's personality--either s/he is going to enjoy a carefree summer, or a busy one...also, being busy during the school year has no bearing on this, just personality.


We only have ten weeks of vacation here, so I wouldn't send Sherina to an all-summer camp, even if we could afford one.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-28-2004
Tue, 06-03-2008 - 10:00am

due to scheduling problems jackie is hardly ever home........ I send her to camp grandmas. for the summer.......... lots of swimming, fishing, boating, biking, and yes even driving... Lots of fun building, cooking reading computer time, sewing and even tv watching.....lol

She loves going to camp grandmas........ lots to do. Oh and a new thing this year ......FLUTE Lessons.........yea.

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