So, what are we supposed to do with them in August???

amother

Tue, Aug 04 2009, 7:27 pm

So, camp is over and there are THREE MORE WEEKS until school starts. I've got a going into 5th grade girl and a going into 2nd grade boy, and there is NOTHING. Organized day camps are over, there might be a backyard, run by a high-schooler 3 hour a day camp for my dd, but there is NOTHING for my son. I work (b'h part time, but I still have to be in the office), and my kids need structure. I can make sure they daven before I leave, but who will make sure they learn and do other appropriate things all day. They get cabin fever if they're inside. If they're not going to run camps or programs until school starts, or until a week before, or so, then they should start school earlier.

Worse case, what about all the 10-14 year old girls and boys who are just hanging out right now? The boys will start yeshiva in a week or two, so not so long, but there are a ton of high school girls just "hanging out" with their friends. I worry about them.

When there are 10 weeks of vacation from school, why is there only 6 weeks of programming? Do they think that every family has either a stay at home parent or that everyone can afford a two to three week vacation?

End result is that I hired a babysitter for the hours I need to work, and I will try and come up with something for the time I'm not, but it's not learning and it's not camp, and I worry about all the kids I see just hanging out.

[Anon b/c I'm angrier than usual and b/c there's some identifying info in the post]

BinahYeteirah ↓

Tue, Aug 04 2009, 7:54 pm

It must be tough to have to hire childcare for such a short amount of time. I am sorry you are stressed by this.

I do not think, however, that kids need to be in structured activities every day of the year. Obviously, if both parents do work, then arrangements need to made for a level of supervision that is appropriate for the children. School and camp are not, in theory, day care. Many families are happy to have downtime to spend with their children. Parents are discouraged from taking family vacations during school year, so Summer may be the one opportunity for many. Kids sometimes like to make visits to relatives or the like. There are many worthy things that could be done with this time.

I am sorry for your difficulties, but it does not mean that every child should be in structured activities all year long. It is only three weeks out of the year.

Tue, Aug 04 2009, 8:19 pm

BinahYeteirah wrote:

School and camp are not, in theory, day care.

I relish downtime with my family, I really do. But I have to work to pay for school. I'm not a teacher, so I don't get the summer off. Day camp is day care for working parents. The government agrees with me - with proper documentation, day camp tuition may be tax advantaged as a child care expense in the US.

On a related note, while school is not day care, the needs of working parents should be considered in developing the school calendar. If they want us to pay tuition, that is.

↑ BinahYeteirah

Tue, Aug 04 2009, 8:46 pm

cm wrote:

Day camp is day care for working parents.

That is true. I assume that the camps and schools have their reasons for setting the schedules they do. Would you be angry if your school of choice did not offer the before and after school care you might prefer as a working mother? Again, I hope the school set the hours they do to serve some purpose, not merely to inconvenience working parents. It is really annoying, but angering? Maybe other parents would be annoyed if they weren't as easily able to take family vacations because camp has become a "must" that kids don't want to miss and school starts as soon as it ends. Maybe the counselors and teachers (some of whom may be coming from far away) need time to go home and regroup before a new academic year and would be put upon if they lost the downtime.

If enough parents want this service, you could get together and help it get set up for next year.