A “no camp” summer

[Anonymous]

Get some type of routine that is followed everyday (morning outing - park, splashpad, water park, museum, etc.) come home for lunch. Some type of educational thing (math work book etc - hopefully they will read on their own in other free time.) Screen time (1 hour???) free play - legos, reading, ride bikes etc. It will pass pretty fast. I just had my kids home for 2 weeks winter break and they loved when I posted the "daily routine."

[Anonymous]

I would do at least 2 weeks of camp for the 7yo. Maybe not right at the beginning of summer so she feels like she has a break.
Let your Nanny structure the days and weeks. She can brainstorm with the kids things they want to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not OP but where do you find half day camps?

DP. I have occasionally seen half-day camps offered at businesses that offer classes during the school year, like art and dance studios.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the nanny allow screens? As long as they are outside and playing all summer, getting a lot of exercise, and screens are banned, I’d be fine with it.

This is probably what kids should actually be doing in the summer if the parents can swing it.

[Anonymous]

^ With the caveat that your 7 year old understands the parks and pool may not be full of kids her age bc they will be at camp.

[Anonymous]

My DD stays home with me during the summer. It’s great! We go to the pool most afternoons, she does year round dance, and she spends the morning cooking/baking with me, reading, or doing crafts. She appreciates the break from the structure of the school year.

[Anonymous]

We did this (with a sitter) when my kids were 4 and 6. It was totally fine.

I think it would be great to do swim team/pre-team to have some structure for their days and interaction with other kids. We didn’t at the time but have gotten really involved since and it’s been so fantastic and “camp like” (spirit activities, cheers, friends etc) for the kids without the hours long daily commitment.

Otherwise they played at home, spent a lot of time in the creek behind our house, went to different playgrounds, went to the library. My older child was pretty overwhelmed by camps and pretty happy with the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the nanny allow screens? As long as they are outside and playing all summer, getting a lot of exercise, and screens are banned, I’d be fine with it.

This is probably what kids should actually be doing in the summer if the parents can swing it.

I’m a later poster and tend to agree with you. My kids went to camps many years because it worked better for our work schedules, but the summer at home seemed much better suited to where they were developmentally especially at younger ages (when full day camp surrounded by strange kids and adults and constant activity can be A KOT).

[Anonymous]

My kids often have this request but I don't have a nanny.

Just have your nanny create her own summer camp. It should involve an activity at least twice a week. Pool should be close to daily. Activities can include trips to arcades, amusement parks, museums, trampoline centers etc.

[Anonymous]

Pool, swim team, vacation Bible schools, and maybe a vacation.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t let a 7 year old decide this. But I would definitely do maybe one week on, one week off. Camp, pool week, camp, pool week, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not OP but where do you find half day camps?

DP. I have occasionally seen half-day camps offered at businesses that offer classes during the school year, like art and dance studios.

I'm a PP about half day camps. I'm in Fairfax, so I've found them through Parktakes and dance/art studios. One summer DCs did ice skating lessons once a week, another summer it was a tennis lessons. I thought of it as a chance to try things out, but without the stress of squeezing it in after school.

[Anonymous]

We did this last year and our kids sat on screens a lot. Everyone is in camps so the pool got boring. Summer kinda sucks as a working parent but I wouldn't recommend no camps at all. Week on week off is probably ideal.

[Anonymous]

Am I wrong to think a bit of screens is ok? Our kid loves video chat with her friends and has developed her artistic abilities from YouTube tutorials. I craft with her as well and am very hands on but sometimes she’s over me. She’s also a reader and very active. Forbidding one thing during school break that helps her connect with other kids is wild to me. She’s 10 and we do see other kids in neighborhood and pool too. Maybe it’s different? We also don’t have a nanny and switch off days providing care/wfh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I wrong to think a bit of screens is ok? Our kid loves video chat with her friends and has developed her artistic abilities from YouTube tutorials. I craft with her as well and am very hands on but sometimes she’s over me. She’s also a reader and very active. Forbidding one thing during school break that helps her connect with other kids is wild to me. She’s 10 and we do see other kids in neighborhood and pool too. Maybe it’s different? We also don’t have a nanny and switch off days providing care/wfh.

NP. I think using screens as tools for video chat and tutorials is great. Getting lost in YT/TikTok wormholes for hours at a time is not.