sahps who don't do summer camps- how are you giving structure to summer days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I let my kids enjoy their summer.

Yup! Here too. They get exercise by jumping on the trampoline, lots of pool time, riding bikes. All learning is "accidental". Trips to the library to get books they WANT to read instead of what they HAVE to read. They send me emails a few times a day while I'm at work---that works on typing and their writing skills. They have chores to do around the house (making beds, folding laundry, emptying dishwasher, etc).
I roll my eyes at "structure" in the summer. And why the hell is OP targeting SAHP'S?

Because working parents have their kids in camp or have other supervision all summer for day care purposes.

She's not asking to structure their entire day or summer. Just some ideas to provide a basic framework.

[Anonymous]

swim team. my two younger boys have been doing it since 8 and 10, so they grab a bit of exercise every morning regardless of how hot it is. they're now 14 an 16 and still doing it.

we've done the random camp here or there over the years depending on interest, everything from art to soccer, basketball, scouts, whatever.

the other rule is that everyone has a summer job by 16 -- 19 and 16 year old are both working, 14-year-old is amusing himself with friends, so that gives him structure.

the main thing, I've found, is having a reason for kids to get up and do something before noon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like a perfect summer for your kids would be:

1. Swim lessons
2. Keyboarding and coding classes
3. Learning to help take care of the house with you in age appropriate ways (cleaning rooms, learning to cook - maybe including them in weekly meal planning and prep)
4. Make a summer "bucket list" of 10 interesting local outings. Allow them to research online and find some things in the area that they want to do.

That sounds like a pretty full and amazing summer to me!

Do your kids want to learn to code? Seems if they do they can teach themselves.

[Anonymous]

So 4 pages and no suggestion of volunteering in the community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I let my kids enjoy their summer.

OP here, and can you give more detail?

I find that complete lack of any parent guidance is not what most allows my kids to enjoy the summer. So, please elaborate. Do you do absolutely nothing? Just let them do whatever they want all the time? Do you drive them wherever they want to go? What does it mean, you let them enjoy their summer? Do you allow them unlimited computer and TV time? (And if so, do they enjoy that? I don't think mine would. So far, too much screen time makes them really grumpy. But I haven't tried making it unlimited for weeks on end to see if they learn self-regulation.)

We don't belong to a pool, but I plan to take them to the public pools. I don't think I could stand to do it more than 2-3 times a week as it's not something I enjoy. But they are not very good swimmers, so we need to work on that. For now, though, going to the pool is not going to make them enjoy summer more. Once they are confident swimmers, I'm sure they'll enjoy the pool, though. I am truly interested in what works for you, even (or especially) if it is completely different from what I think might work for us.

I find that I'm not happy with a completely free-form kid-guided summer, because the kids make lots of demands (like "I want to play mini-golf, can we go NOW?!") and I also like time for myself when I know I can get things done. So I don't mind figuring in everything they want to do, but I like to give it a little shape so I don't feel like I need to always be at their beck and call. My own kids also seem to be happier when they know what will be happening for the next few days, and when they have free time, and what they can look forward to.

OP, I agree with all of this.

[Anonymous]

Swim team and Jr golf. Swim team is every morning, we generally stay at the pool. Wednesdays are Jr Golf, before swim team. We play on sunday afternoons as a family. I have a sitter every tuesday so that I can play golf/have a day to myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So 4 pages and no suggestion of volunteering in the community?

Would love some ideas. What summer volunteer activities have your kids enjoyed (or at least participated in)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I let my kids enjoy their summer.

Yup! Here too. They get exercise by jumping on the trampoline, lots of pool time, riding bikes. All learning is "accidental". Trips to the library to get books they WANT to read instead of what they HAVE to read. They send me emails a few times a day while I'm at work---that works on typing and their writing skills. They have chores to do around the house (making beds, folding laundry, emptying dishwasher, etc).
I roll my eyes at "structure" in the summer. And why the hell is OP targeting SAHP'S?

Because working parents have their kids in camp or have other supervision all summer for day care purposes.

She's not asking to structure their entire day or summer. Just some ideas to provide a basic framework.

Um, not true. DH and I both work. We stagger our schedules so the kids aren't in daycare.

[Anonymous]

We are doing a few weeks of camps spread out and a 10 day vacation. Other than that:

Pool every day just about

Play dates, especially with friends we don't see much during the school year (mostly these are friends who went to preschool together but go to different elementaries)

Day trips! I think we will do Catoctin zoo next week. This week is camp. Last week we did Temple Hall Farm and a nature center run by a local neighborhood HOA. We've done a walk on the W&OD trail with a stop for a snack at a BBQ restaurant alongside.

New books and some simple prep books (to practice handwriting before K)

We are doing a nature journal this summer so each day we go on a walk or bird watching and then look through our Audubon guides to complete our journal page.

We try fun new parks or playgrounds we haven't been to or don't go to during the school year because they're just a little too far to go on a weekday afternoon

We make new foods. My 5 year old really wanted to make banana bread so we found a recipe and did it. Next week when there's no camp she wants to try to make a pie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So 4 pages and no suggestion of volunteering in the community?

Would love some ideas. What summer volunteer activities have your kids enjoyed (or at least participated in)?

Personally, I volunteer but it is very hard to find a place that will allow kids younger than 12 to volunteer. Big liability issues and of course while it's beneficial for them they're not really much help at that young age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I let my kids enjoy their summer.

Yup! Here too. They get exercise by jumping on the trampoline, lots of pool time, riding bikes. All learning is "accidental". Trips to the library to get books they WANT to read instead of what they HAVE to read. They send me emails a few times a day while I'm at work---that works on typing and their writing skills. They have chores to do around the house (making beds, folding laundry, emptying dishwasher, etc).
I roll my eyes at "structure" in the summer. And why the hell is OP targeting SAHP'S?

Because working parents have their kids in camp or have other supervision all summer for day care purposes.

She's not asking to structure their entire day or summer. Just some ideas to provide a basic framework.

Um, not true. DH and I both work. We stagger our schedules so the kids aren't in daycare.

Well, be thankful then that you are part of the blessed few who have flexible schedules and feel free to give ideas that are actually relevant to the post as to how you structure the time when the kids aren't in daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So 4 pages and no suggestion of volunteering in the community?

I'm the PP who let's her kids enjoy their summer and,FYI, they do volunteer activities year round through our church.