Will your kids be attending 6/22-6/25?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of camps have already opened by that point and people book camps in January.

This was such a boneheaded move by MCPS.

SOME people book camps in January. I don't have data on this, but I would guess that the fraction of MCPS parents who book summer camps in January is low. Some people don't seem to realize that not all MCPS kids can afford sleepaway camp, or even half-day camp.

Do you have elementary aged kids? The sign up dates for these things keep getting earlier and earlier-- not just for fancy camps, for pretty much all of them. Especially if you want to get your kids into a cheaper camp with limited spots, you need to book in December or January. That said, lots of the cheaper camps are also refundable, so the more price-sensitive families may cancel them for that week and send their kids so they don't have to pay.

I think PP is pointing out that not all people are privileged enough to be able to afford camp. And I think that’s true — yes two working middle class parents can feel like this is a necessity and it’s a grind and hard and expensive. But lower income families (of which MCPS has many) are not doing this in the same numbers. Factor in SAHPs, flexible work schedules and planned time off, older kids, grandparent and relative care…. I kind of agree it’s probably a minority booking the January camps.

+1 Once I was 5 years old, my older sibling watched me all summer while our parents worked. And my sibling wasn't that much other. So, rather we both watched TV all summer. My kids are more privileged, but I would bet there are more MCPS kids who spend a good chunk of their summers at home watching screens, than going to sleepaway camp in Maine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of camps have already opened by that point and people book camps in January.

This was such a boneheaded move by MCPS.

SOME people book camps in January. I don't have data on this, but I would guess that the fraction of MCPS parents who book summer camps in January is low. Some people don't seem to realize that not all MCPS kids can afford sleepaway camp, or even half-day camp.

Do you have elementary aged kids? The sign up dates for these things keep getting earlier and earlier-- not just for fancy camps, for pretty much all of them. Especially if you want to get your kids into a cheaper camp with limited spots, you need to book in December or January. That said, lots of the cheaper camps are also refundable, so the more price-sensitive families may cancel them for that week and send their kids so they don't have to pay.

I think PP is pointing out that not all people are privileged enough to be able to afford camp. And I think that’s true — yes two working middle class parents can feel like this is a necessity and it’s a grind and hard and expensive. But lower income families (of which MCPS has many) are not doing this in the same numbers. Factor in SAHPs, flexible work schedules and planned time off, older kids, grandparent and relative care…. I kind of agree it’s probably a minority booking the January camps.

DP. A minority meaning less than half, maybe (although you don't have any actual numbers here, you're just guessing), but it's a lot of people, and it's middle class people, not just the very privileged. The Rec Department Summer Fun Centers are among the cheapest options out there and they've been booked for a month. Acting like it's crazy to book in January (which was done in one of these threads) is wrong. Cheap camps are very much in demand, so if you need cheap camps you often have to act in January. That applies to a lot of people that it would you'd look ridiculous calling "privileged."

[Anonymous]

This is purely a childcare issue for families, since there is guaranteed to be no instruction.

Parents who need to work and could do without the outlay for extra childcare fees will be glad to have schools open.

The others might send in their younger kids just for the socialization.

The rest will not.

That's all. That's how it's always been. Nothing is being invented here in 2026!

[Anonymous]

Hell to the no.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why everyone on dcum uses privileged like a dirty word or an insult. People have different situations.

To answer the post: one of my kids has plans that are not refundable or able to be rescheduled, the other could technically be available if I rearranged a bunch of things and reneged on some special plans. Kid A definitely won’t be at school, kid B most likely will not unless it looks like there will be important tests or final projects that would impact grades (unlikely).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of camps have already opened by that point and people book camps in January.

This was such a boneheaded move by MCPS.

SOME people book camps in January. I don't have data on this, but I would guess that the fraction of MCPS parents who book summer camps in January is low. Some people don't seem to realize that not all MCPS kids can afford sleepaway camp, or even half-day camp.

Do you have elementary aged kids? The sign up dates for these things keep getting earlier and earlier-- not just for fancy camps, for pretty much all of them. Especially if you want to get your kids into a cheaper camp with limited spots, you need to book in December or January. That said, lots of the cheaper camps are also refundable, so the more price-sensitive families may cancel them for that week and send their kids so they don't have to pay.

I think PP is pointing out that not all people are privileged enough to be able to afford camp. And I think that’s true — yes two working middle class parents can feel like this is a necessity and it’s a grind and hard and expensive. But lower income families (of which MCPS has many) are not doing this in the same numbers. Factor in SAHPs, flexible work schedules and planned time off, older kids, grandparent and relative care…. I kind of agree it’s probably a minority booking the January camps.

Being able to afford to have a SAHP and/or a flexible schedule is the privileged position. Everyone else has all parents working, non-flexible schedules, and need summer child care (i.e. camps) in order to work. Camp is not some summer sleepaway thing, it's everyday childcare for working families, and if you want the cheap ones you need to book them quick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of camps have already opened by that point and people book camps in January.

This was such a boneheaded move by MCPS.

SOME people book camps in January. I don't have data on this, but I would guess that the fraction of MCPS parents who book summer camps in January is low. Some people don't seem to realize that not all MCPS kids can afford sleepaway camp, or even half-day camp.

Do you have elementary aged kids? The sign up dates for these things keep getting earlier and earlier-- not just for fancy camps, for pretty much all of them. Especially if you want to get your kids into a cheaper camp with limited spots, you need to book in December or January. That said, lots of the cheaper camps are also refundable, so the more price-sensitive families may cancel them for that week and send their kids so they don't have to pay.

I think PP is pointing out that not all people are privileged enough to be able to afford camp. And I think that’s true — yes two working middle class parents can feel like this is a necessity and it’s a grind and hard and expensive. But lower income families (of which MCPS has many) are not doing this in the same numbers. Factor in SAHPs, flexible work schedules and planned time off, older kids, grandparent and relative care…. I kind of agree it’s probably a minority booking the January camps.

Being able to afford to have a SAHP and/or a flexible schedule is the privileged position. Everyone else has all parents working, non-flexible schedules, and need summer child care (i.e. camps) in order to work. Camp is not some summer sleepaway thing, it's everyday childcare for working families, and if you want the cheap ones you need to book them quick.

I think most working parents cannot afford camp. But most working parents aren’t the UMC types on here.

SAHPs cut both ways— can afford to do it, or literally can’t afford childcare out of wages.

Flexible schedules are privilege yes, but (another one I didn’t mention) staggered working schedules are not.

[Anonymous]

Guaranteed my kid will get more out of hanging out at the pool all day rather than go to school on those days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of camps have already opened by that point and people book camps in January.

This was such a boneheaded move by MCPS.

SOME people book camps in January. I don't have data on this, but I would guess that the fraction of MCPS parents who book summer camps in January is low. Some people don't seem to realize that not all MCPS kids can afford sleepaway camp, or even half-day camp.

Do you have elementary aged kids? The sign up dates for these things keep getting earlier and earlier-- not just for fancy camps, for pretty much all of them. Especially if you want to get your kids into a cheaper camp with limited spots, you need to book in December or January. That said, lots of the cheaper camps are also refundable, so the more price-sensitive families may cancel them for that week and send their kids so they don't have to pay.

I think PP is pointing out that not all people are privileged enough to be able to afford camp. And I think that’s true — yes two working middle class parents can feel like this is a necessity and it’s a grind and hard and expensive. But lower income families (of which MCPS has many) are not doing this in the same numbers. Factor in SAHPs, flexible work schedules and planned time off, older kids, grandparent and relative care…. I kind of agree it’s probably a minority booking the January camps.

Being able to afford to have a SAHP and/or a flexible schedule is the privileged position. Everyone else has all parents working, non-flexible schedules, and need summer child care (i.e. camps) in order to work. Camp is not some summer sleepaway thing, it's everyday childcare for working families, and if you want the cheap ones you need to book them quick.

I think most working parents cannot afford camp. But most working parents aren’t the UMC types on here.

SAHPs cut both ways— can afford to do it, or literally can’t afford childcare out of wages.

Flexible schedules are privilege yes, but (another one I didn’t mention) staggered working schedules are not.

To add to this : the aftercare at our current ES is always booked solid with a waitlist to get in. When we were at a high FARMS ES, aftercare was much less popular and easy to get in to. Most kids walked home at the end of the day and many were picked up by older siblings.

[Anonymous]

Nope, add me to the already booked sleep away camp group.

[Anonymous]

My DS's teacher will be out on maternity leave by then so even less than your lowest level of learning will be happening. He's already scheduled for sleep away camp so I don't need to choose but if nothing was scheduled, I would definitely send him. He likes going, especially if no learning is going on.

[Anonymous]

No, and I’m a teacher and won’t be there either.

[Anonymous]

Hell to the no - again and again and again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, and I’m a teacher and won’t be there either.

Going to use vacation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of camps have already opened by that point and people book camps in January.

This was such a boneheaded move by MCPS.

SOME people book camps in January. I don't have data on this, but I would guess that the fraction of MCPS parents who book summer camps in January is low. Some people don't seem to realize that not all MCPS kids can afford sleepaway camp, or even half-day camp.

Do you have elementary aged kids? The sign up dates for these things keep getting earlier and earlier-- not just for fancy camps, for pretty much all of them. Especially if you want to get your kids into a cheaper camp with limited spots, you need to book in December or January. That said, lots of the cheaper camps are also refundable, so the more price-sensitive families may cancel them for that week and send their kids so they don't have to pay.

I think PP is pointing out that not all people are privileged enough to be able to afford camp. And I think that’s true — yes two working middle class parents can feel like this is a necessity and it’s a grind and hard and expensive. But lower income families (of which MCPS has many) are not doing this in the same numbers. Factor in SAHPs, flexible work schedules and planned time off, older kids, grandparent and relative care…. I kind of agree it’s probably a minority booking the January camps.

Being able to afford to have a SAHP and/or a flexible schedule is the privileged position. Everyone else has all parents working, non-flexible schedules, and need summer child care (i.e. camps) in order to work. Camp is not some summer sleepaway thing, it's everyday childcare for working families, and if you want the cheap ones you need to book them quick.

t's legal in Maryland to stay home alone at age 8, or they can stay with a sibling or another person aged 13+ at any age. It's not that everyone in MoCo is sending kids to camp. Poorer parents, and even richer ones, can and do leave their kids home alone all the time.

MCPS covers kids 5-18ish. It's not that a huge % of MCPS kids that have to go to camp because the parents require childcare. From age 8+, parents are sending kids because they want to do so.