Yesterday I was out with my daughter, and we passed a summer camp bus. She said- in an accusatory tone of voice- “Remember when you used to put me in those random summer camps just so you could go to work?”
Okay, let’s be honest. ISN’T THAT WHY MOST KIDS GO TO CAMP? I mean, parents work, the kids are too young to stay home alone… off you go!
Looking back, I was so, so lucky as a kid. First of all, I grew up in the 70s (best decade ever to be a kid) AND my parents were both teachers, so we all had the summers off together. I never went to camp (until middle and high school, where I went to a music camp for a few weeks each summer). Instead we spent the summers playing outside, riding our bikes to the library, and going to the pool. So. Much. Fun.
I was home with my kids when they were little, and let me tell you, summers were hard. There was no going outside to play- no one plays outside all day in the Florida summers. It was always me planning an activity, to a waterpark, pool, splash pad, or indoor, air conditioned activity (Monkey Joes, kid museum, Barnes and Noble, etc.) Oof.
When I went back to work, we tried to patch together child supervision for the summer. My husband is a teacher, so is technically off for the summer, but he does a lot of extra things, like teach at band camps or private lessons. I would sit down with a calendar for the summer and try to figure out how many days we would need child care, aka summer camp.
My daughter did the (cheap!) camp at her school for a couple summers, which she had mixed feelings about. Then there was the week-long computer camp where- weirdly- she was literally the only girl. But the “best” was gymnastics camp.
One summer- she was probably 7 or 8- almost old enough to stay home, but not quite- I just needed random days here and there covered. I discovered a gymnastics camp that was RIGHT NEAR my work, the drop off/pick up hours were perfect, and best of all, you could pay by the day. The only snafu was, my daughter had no experience or interest in gymnastics whatsoever.
I called the camp and they said that was fine! Anyone could come! So that summer she got dropped off at gymnastics camp on the days we needed it.
I guess the thing is- most people who go to gymnastics camp DO have some aptitude for it. My daughter is not athletic and she says at this camp, even the lowest level of kids were doing cartwheels. She said one day they told everyone they were going to “warm up” by doing the splits. Luckily she was not scarred for life by this experience, and we still laugh about it to this day. We just chalk it up to a slightly bizarre babysitting choice on my part.
Fast forward to today (my day off of work). I was sitting at the kitchen table, lingering over a late breakfast, when I noticed my daughter, fully dressed and ready to walk out the door. Wait- where are you going???
She explained that her friend was coming to pick her up, they were going to the school to help the band director with something, then they were going out to lunch and then the gym later on. Um, okay… bye!
All this is to say… boy, does this parenting thing get easier. I do NOT miss the days of packing up a zillion supplies to take a toddler to the beach. I don’t miss the days of scrambling for childcare on days off of school. Now when I have a day off work, I can spend it as I want.
On that note- I’m off to the gym, and then to Starbucks to read! (If you’re in a phase of life with young kids, don’t worry- you will get here as well).
Did you go to summer camp as a kid? Did you like it? – I liked being able to be lazy if I wanted and set my own schedule, but I know that’s not for everyone.
Top photo by Jubéo Hernandez on Unsplash
3 Responses
that is TOO FUNNY about gymnastics camp. Hey, at least she didn’t end up with broken bones!!!!
I went to day camp until I was old enough to be a counselor at day camp. It was just “what you did”. I didn’t even question the idea that there was an alternative. Ha! (Thankfully I really liked it!)
I did summer camp and HATED it and swore I would never make my own kids go. Turns out they both love it. And now my daughter volunteers at summer camps as a leader.
It really does get so much easier in so many ways as kids get older. Parenting is still exhausting, but in a very different, less physical and all-encompassing way. Not having to feed or dress kids. BLISS. I’m counting the days until my son is able to stay home independently (soon), and cannot believe my daughter only has three more years of school.
“… you used to put me in those random summer camps just so you could go to work?” – oh Angie. If only there wasn’t that pesky thing called work that allows us to pay our bills/provide for our families/pay for extracurriculars! 😛
I had pretty free range childhood summers as a kid and I did not love them to be honest. I was bored and lonely since I lived in a rural setting. So I had very few options to entertain myself in my tiny town of 500 people. Like there was no pool, no library, and most of my friends lived on farms in the country. I went to music camp for several years and one year I went for 2 weeks which I loved! Besides that I barely did any camps since that was not a thing in my tiny, rural community. Plus I had older siblings to keep an eye on me. I did a lot of chores like cleaning, folding laundry, mowing the lawn when I was old enough (which was a big job as it was 3 acres!!). I could not wait for school to start so I could see my friends again and get done with alllll the chores.
These days the boys go to the school-based childcare program which they both seem to enjoy. It’s mostly the same teachers as the before and after care during the school year so there is a feeling of continuity. They do a great job with weekly field trips. This will be Will’s first summer in the program but he’s the kind of kid that gets along with anyone plus he’ll have Paul there. They are also doing 1 week of day camp/week through our church which they love. It has several field trips and it’s nice to sort of change things up while keeping the logistics easy as the church is 1/2 mile from our house.
Phil was actually saying this past weekend on our date night that he feels bad that the kids don’t have the same summer he had. His parents were also both teachers so he was home with them all summer and was out and about in the neighborhood. But he also understands this is not the 90s and free range parenting doesn’t work in a urban area with busy cross streets (I could bike all over the place growing up and he could to but that is not the case in our neighborhood as we are 1 block from 2 pretty trafficky city streets). For me, it’s hard enough at times to fill our weekends – I would not want to do that 7 days/week! But at our kids’ ages, the less we are home, the better… but the less I am home, the more exhausted I feel!