Summer of the 1980’s

[Anonymous]

No camps, no agenda. How many of you are doing this?

https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-letting-kids-sleep-screentime-do-nothing-summer-break-2025-7

[Anonymous]

I read this and rolled my eyes. You're trying too hard to be cool lady. No one cares.

I had a sahm mom in the 80s, so never attended camp but it wasnt an agenda. I think it's silly to try and take a stance. Just do what works for your family and move on.

[Anonymous]

I have to work, so my kid is in camp.

[Anonymous]

My kids' summers have always looked like this — relaxed days and mostly empty schedules, aside from the occasional beach or lake trip

These are our summers too. It's what happens when you can't afford summer camp for three kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My kids' summers have always looked like this — relaxed days and mostly empty schedules, aside from the occasional beach or lake trip

These are our summers too. It's what happens when you can't afford summer camp for three kids.

Yes I'm PP with the sahm mom and they definitely couldn't afford camp. To me, being able to send my kids to camps is a sign of success. I am glad they have the opportunity to do so.

[Anonymous]

I mean, if your kids can be on screens all day and still be in a good mood and not snarling at each other like injured cats, more power to you.

Mine, unfortunately, cannot do this. So camps/summer jobs/volunteering/sports practices for our kids to keep them busy while I work.

[Anonymous]

This is what my kids from the age of around 10 or 12. Maybe occasional camps.

[Anonymous]

All my summers were like that except we didn't have a pool so I rode bike to beach, went to CC with friend whose family were members, or just lay out in back yard.
Library trips, bus to downtown or a mall. Lots of reading, listening to radio.

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad that my 1990s summers involved pretty limited screentime. If we'd had such easy access to screens we never would have spent all day running around the block. Later on we did have computer games, but they weren't that great, and I spent a lot of my time reading and playing music.

I distinctly remember feeling pretty bad about how I was spending my time one day after I watched an episode of Matlock. That was enough to get me off the couch...

[Anonymous]

I'm 50 so my childhood was in the 80s (finished 8th grade in 1988). I went to swim team every day, and the park district camp too. I also watched crap on tv and played outside - a mix. My kid I think has a similar summer. Having some structured activities in there isn't robbing you of the experience of not having school, homework, etc.

These stories are always really all or nothing. Camp has an "easy, breezy flow" like she describes summer in the story. Nothing wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

My kids loved the Covid era so much because they didn't have school aftercare or summer camps that were allegedly educational but actually underdelivered.

My kid was hoping to work for 3 weeks this summer as a camp counselor but he didn't get chosen. But he still has 30 hours of driver's ed during that freed up time.

I do think kids need more decompression time but it's difficult to fit it in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to work, so my kid is in camp.

+1

[Anonymous]

I can't romanticize the 80s. My parents were so hands-off. Here's my story to assuage the guilt of anyone who's overscheduled their kid:

I watched a lot of crappy TV in the summer on one of the 3 channels we had, and if I wasn't at the pool, I was stuck at home- it was the only place I could ride my bike to and only after I was 12 or 13 when some subdivisions got connected to each other. Before that I would get a ride from my parents early and have to wait outside the gates until it opened, and then I would have to stay at the pool until dinnertime unless a friend could give me a ride to their house or my house. We didn't have money for much at the snack bar but outside food wasn't allowed- it was insane but I would be there for 8-10 hours including swim team practice with just a popsicle or candy to eat.

My parents almost never had time to take me to the library so I would run out of things to read and they didn't want me cooking or making messes with crafts. I remember summers as a time when I felt really hungry and really bored. When I was at the pool it was fun but by 11 or so, less so because of friendship drama and cliques. I was also "assigned" hours of chores per day if I was home- more than I do now as an adult with my own house- and punished if I didn't finish by the time my mom got home from work.

I feel very happy to drive my kid to any activity, pool, library, bookstore, camp, etc.

[Anonymous]

Not reading the full article but my thoughts are

1) my kids have a long summer vacation. Older one has almost 2.5 months and younger one has 3 months. They each do camp for 6-7 weeks, and that still leaves many lazy, unstructured weeks. I wouldn’t want them at home doing nothing for 10-12 weeks - they are better off at camp socializing, learning to transition between activities, swimming and playing sports.

2) I work. The time they’re at home is spent with a babysitter with me and DH taking them on vacation for a week, and some days and off here and there. I’m not sure they’re better off at home begging to watch TV all day with a babysitter than they are doing enriching organized and social activities. If I didn’t work, I’d still want them in camp for at least part of the summer for this purpose.

All about balance IMO.

[Anonymous]

OP here- agree with all the comments about keeping a balance and kids cant not be doing anything all summer for 10-12 weeks. Do you feel the kids in the 80’s or prescreen times were more creative? With my boys 13 and 11, they are not addicted to screens as such but its the first thing they can think of when they are bored. Its too hot to play outside these days, maybe 50 years ago it was cooler?