SAHMs/Summer ideas for kids who don’t want to go to camp

[Anonymous]

I don't give my kids options for no camp but it doesn't have to be full day. For example, one of my kids chose a two hour math camp (virtual) one week. That's fine, we will head to the pool in the afternoon afterwards.

[Anonymous]

I have kids who will be 15, 13 & 10 this summer. I'm also a SAHM. None of them have ever been interested in sleep away camp. I've tried ( I loved it) but I'm not going to pay $$$$ if they don't want to be there. We belong to a pool that has a tennis program that they are all enrolled in. They will have tennis 4 days a week for about 2 hours. We will stay and swim and hopefully the 15 & 13 year old will work some too (caddy, babysitting, etc.). Beyond that I don't really care what they do. This has been a rough year. I'm completely ok with a lazy play it by ear summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either they get a job or go to camp. I just give them camp options and they can choose from them. Otherwise get a job.

They are 10 and 13. Reading comprehension fail.

No, I didn't fail to comprehend. If my 13 yr old decided to start a lawn-mowing service and do that all summer I would say fine, no need for camp. Mother's helper five days a week? Fine, no camp. But just sitting around doing nothing? Unacceptable - pick from these camps, or I'll pick for you.

10 and 13 they are not able to work full time all summer. They cannot even get a work permit.

It's fair to say to do something (activities or something). But your little ultimatum is ridiculous.

No, my ultimatum is perfectly reasonable. A 13 yr old can totally work under the table. And the point, which my kids would understand a lot faster than you apparently do, is that THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE. Not going to camp is not an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either they get a job or go to camp. I just give them camp options and they can choose from them. Otherwise get a job.

They are 10 and 13. Reading comprehension fail.

No, I didn't fail to comprehend. If my 13 yr old decided to start a lawn-mowing service and do that all summer I would say fine, no need for camp. Mother's helper five days a week? Fine, no camp. But just sitting around doing nothing? Unacceptable - pick from these camps, or I'll pick for you.

10 and 13 they are not able to work full time all summer. They cannot even get a work permit.

It's fair to say to do something (activities or something). But your little ultimatum is ridiculous.

No, my ultimatum is perfectly reasonable. A 13 yr old can totally work under the table. And the point, which my kids would understand a lot faster than you apparently do, is that THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE. Not going to camp is not an option.

Some sweatshop in Bangladesh would be thrilled to employ your 13 year old.

PP you do sound ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only hope is that there will be other kids in the neighborhood without plans.

This is my hope every summer and each year everyone decamps to relatives houses, the beach, etc. no one is around. Our neighborhood is a ghost town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only hope is that there will be other kids in the neighborhood without plans.

This is my hope every summer and each year everyone decamps to relatives houses, the beach, etc. no one is around. Our neighborhood is a ghost town.

Same. Everyone is in camps and so busy and too tired to play in the afternoons. They complain about how busy they are and how great it would be to have a low key summer.

[Anonymous]

My 13 YO doesn't want to do camps either unless they are related to his sport or he has a friend who's going. He is doing 2 weeks of sleepaway camp with his cousins and one week at Grandma's house. I'll probably make him do a week of academic camp to make up for last school year.

So, he will have a few weeks of very lazy days when he's gaming a LOT. And some where he's more structured. He also does some pet sitting for neighbors who are out of town. I work PT, so we can do some outings, but at that age, he's not into hanging out with Mom as much. I found a couple of Moms who will trade an afternoon "hangout" with me - one week at our house, one week at theirs.

Makes for a long summer...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have kids who will be 15, 13 & 10 this summer. I'm also a SAHM. None of them have ever been interested in sleep away camp. I've tried ( I loved it) but I'm not going to pay $$$$ if they don't want to be there. We belong to a pool that has a tennis program that they are all enrolled in. They will have tennis 4 days a week for about 2 hours. We will stay and swim and hopefully the 15 & 13 year old will work some too (caddy, babysitting, etc.). Beyond that I don't really care what they do. This has been a rough year. I'm completely ok with a lazy play it by ear summer.

OP here. I’m okay with lazy/unplanned, I just don’t want it to turn into screens all day long. Do you have screen limits?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either they get a job or go to camp. I just give them camp options and they can choose from them. Otherwise get a job.

They are 10 and 13. Reading comprehension fail.

No, I didn't fail to comprehend. If my 13 yr old decided to start a lawn-mowing service and do that all summer I would say fine, no need for camp. Mother's helper five days a week? Fine, no camp. But just sitting around doing nothing? Unacceptable - pick from these camps, or I'll pick for you.

10 and 13 they are not able to work full time all summer. They cannot even get a work permit.

It's fair to say to do something (activities or something). But your little ultimatum is ridiculous.

No, my ultimatum is perfectly reasonable. A 13 yr old can totally work under the table. And the point, which my kids would understand a lot faster than you apparently do, is that THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE. Not going to camp is not an option.

Oh, yes, using all caps certainly makes you reasonable. You sound like a joy to have in the house.
Good luck with those relationships with your kids going forward, Ivanka.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either they get a job or go to camp. I just give them camp options and they can choose from them. Otherwise get a job.

They are 10 and 13. Reading comprehension fail.

No, I didn't fail to comprehend. If my 13 yr old decided to start a lawn-mowing service and do that all summer I would say fine, no need for camp. Mother's helper five days a week? Fine, no camp. But just sitting around doing nothing? Unacceptable - pick from these camps, or I'll pick for you.

10 and 13 they are not able to work full time all summer. They cannot even get a work permit.

It's fair to say to do something (activities or something). But your little ultimatum is ridiculous.

No, my ultimatum is perfectly reasonable. A 13 yr old can totally work under the table. And the point, which my kids would understand a lot faster than you apparently do, is that THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE. Not going to camp is not an option.

Oh, that’s the difference. We teach our kids to follow the laws.

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old is going to camp all summer. She gets to choose most of the camps but not whether she’d like to go. We’re both working so there is no choice. I’m not sitting by watching her waste away on YouTube.

She’s doing gymnastics, basketball, ice skating, summer fun center and a couple others that include some academics mixed in.

Does your DC have friends they can do camp with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have kids who will be 15, 13 & 10 this summer. I'm also a SAHM. None of them have ever been interested in sleep away camp. I've tried ( I loved it) but I'm not going to pay $$$$ if they don't want to be there. We belong to a pool that has a tennis program that they are all enrolled in. They will have tennis 4 days a week for about 2 hours. We will stay and swim and hopefully the 15 & 13 year old will work some too (caddy, babysitting, etc.). Beyond that I don't really care what they do. This has been a rough year. I'm completely ok with a lazy play it by ear summer.

OP here. I’m okay with lazy/unplanned, I just don’t want it to turn into screens all day long. Do you have screen limits?

Sort of. None for the 15 & 13 year olds but they are both pretty good at self regulating. We can monitor their phone/ipad usuage through our phones. 15 year old will check his phone periodically, watches a ton of sport videos but really only plays xbox starting around 9:30-10 at night (non school days) with his friends. 13 year old plays a bit on her phone. She doesn't have instagram & we just let her get snapchat about a week ago. Her older brother campaigned for her insisting that this is how kids really make plans these days. She mostly is face timing with her friends discussing Teen Wolf, Vampire Diaries & playing around with makeup.

The 10 year old is obsessed with Roblox and watching you tube videos of other people playing Roblox. We have screen limits set on his ipad with his downtime being 9pm-7am. He is allowed one hour every day & depending on his activity level he can request additional time which we will give. He would be on that ipad all day without the screen time.

I'm not naive that the screen time will probably increase this summer but as long as they are getting some activity each day, I'm ok with it. Really hoping with my husband & I being vaccinated this month & the possibility of the older 2 we can take a couple of trips too.

[Anonymous]

We didn’t do camps. My kids slept in, played outside with neighbors, rode bikes, played in the woods, spent most days at the pool, .... We took a couple of little vacations. Traveled to see family. Visited area museums and theme parks. They were involved in sports and music when they got older. And some days they sat around the house playing video games and watching movies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t do camps. My kids slept in, played outside with neighbors, rode bikes, played in the woods, spent most days at the pool, .... We took a couple of little vacations. Traveled to see family. Visited area museums and theme parks. They were involved in sports and music when they got older. And some days they sat around the house playing video games and watching movies.

That would be my ideal summer, but all neighborhood kids are in camps all summer, even those with stay at home parents. There is no one to play with or go to the pool with.

[Anonymous]

You are a SAHM...why do your kids need to go to camp? I WFH and mine only go to camp if they really want to, they are 11 and 8. We limit screens and if they complain they are bored, I give them chores.

I also pay them a little to do jobs for our family business if they want, which they usually do a few hours per day. Household chores you do as part of the family, but surely you have something extra they could do for you...painting a fence or weeding or whatever.