Backyard camp. Married women vs high school girls

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Nov 20 2024, 8:00 pm

I’m trying to figure out what to do for this summer.
I have a son after a few girls. In my town generally the single girls have longer hours than the married ladies backyard day camps. The longer hours work much better for me thou I could technically rush my work day and try to be out ontime for the earlier pickup and maybe arrange a car pool so I’m only rushing on the day I drive .. I’ve sent my girls to backyard camps made by HS girls for years. The hours were better, ratios smaller, prices were better, they had loads of fun energy and weren’t burnt out.
For some reason that I can’t pinpoint it’s not working for my son. He’s 5. The entire last summer he screamed everyday by drop off. The year before that was pretty bad too. Everyone is telling me I must just send him to a “mommy” who “gets it” he is very attached to me and is more of a sensitive kid (while being boyish and wild and crazy at the same time) so can someone explain it to me - before I bend myself into a pretzel trying to get the shorter day to work for me, what does a married lady offer that’s gonna make this summer easier than the last few (pls Hashem!!)

BusyBoys

Wed, Nov 20 2024, 8:26 pm

It could be the transition is what’s hard for him. And summer is too short for proper acclimation for some children.

That said, some camps are more chaotic than others, regardless if it’s a married woman or single girl running it.

amother

Papayawhip

Wed, Nov 20 2024, 9:08 pm

This past summer I actually commented that it’s so interesting how we make sure to get a great morah for the year but entrust our kids to random teenagers for the summer. Some teens are incredibly sensitive and “get” kids and some are just good at having a fun time (and some are not good at either).
That being said, my kids that were in a daycare with the same kids and classmates did fine with high school girls as counselors since not much changed but my kids that went to a whole new camp with new kids had a hard a much harder time adjusting with both women Morah’s and teenage counselors

Chayalle

Wed, Nov 20 2024, 9:14 pm

Did you send him to a daycamp that had multiple groups for different ages, or to a daycamp that had one group for just his age group? How many people were physically present at the daycamp? I remember one of my children did not do well in a place with too many people. She needed not just a smaller ratio, but literally a less overwhelming situation, without so many people on the premises, and did better with one Morah (married woman) taking one small group of kids.

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Nov 20 2024, 10:32 pm

Chayalle wrote:

This past summer I sent to 2 sisters in their home I think it was 11 or 12 kids