Is all day camp too much for a 9.5 year old for 5 weeks?

[Anonymous]

Do all camps even if it's like a half day or like one week, require health forms and a signed form from the pediatrician?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do all camps even if it's like a half day or like one week, require health forms and a signed form from the pediatrician?

Most the half-day ones I use do not require the standard health physical forms. I have to get stuff signed anyway though to go with my child's Epi-pen for her peanut allergy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working parents do this all the time without an issue, and for much younger kids. It is fine.

But kids with SAHP are less used to this. That would probably be too much for my 8 yo, and waaaaay to much for my 5 yo. My niece and nephew have done it since they were 2 though. But they had no other choice.

SAHM here. My kids go to day camp because it is FUN! I understand some can't afford it, but I do not think all day camp is too much for kids that age all. Myself, and a large number of SAHms I know do this. Summer is at least 10 weeks, sending your child to camp for 5 of them is not a lot. They will still have half the summer off! Camp is not academic either, it is FUN!

My mother was a SAHM and I always went to summer camp as a kid, granted from 9-3 and not all day because my parents didn't need the childcare. I always hated it. It wasn't the hours, it was that I wasn't into sports and the camp wanted us to run around all day.

That said, aren't most kids that age in summer camp all day out of necessity? Everyone I work with has their kids in all-day camps for most of the summer because really, what's the alternative?

I am prior PP SAHM whose kids go to camp. Mine go from 9-3 (not extended care like the working moms need). As you say, most people have their kids in all day camp because they work. So if my kid stayed home all summer he wouldn't have many people to play with because they would all be at camp! I love spending time with my children, and do so every day for half of the summer, and every afternoon. But to spend all day every day for 10 weeks coming up with activities for all of us would get boring for everyone. At camp they get to do exciting activities and be with friends their own age. One poster said a lot of kids would rather spend all summer with their parents. My children love spending time with me. But after a few days with me, they beg to play with friends their own age!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working parents do this all the time without an issue, and for much younger kids. It is fine.

But kids with SAHP are less used to this. That would probably be too much for my 8 yo, and waaaaay to much for my 5 yo. My niece and nephew have done it since they were 2 though. But they had no other choice.

SAHM here. My kids go to day camp because it is FUN! I understand some can't afford it, but I do not think all day camp is too much for kids that age all. Myself, and a large number of SAHms I know do this. Summer is at least 10 weeks, sending your child to camp for 5 of them is not a lot. They will still have half the summer off! Camp is not academic either, it is FUN!

My mother was a SAHM and I always went to summer camp as a kid, granted from 9-3 and not all day because my parents didn't need the childcare. I always hated it. It wasn't the hours, it was that I wasn't into sports and the camp wanted us to run around all day.

That said, aren't most kids that age in summer camp all day out of necessity? Everyone I work with has their kids in all-day camps for most of the summer because really, what's the alternative?

I am prior PP SAHM whose kids go to camp. Mine go from 9-3 (not extended care like the working moms need). As you say, most people have their kids in all day camp because they work. So if my kid stayed home all summer he wouldn't have many people to play with because they would all be at camp! I love spending time with my children, and do so every day for half of the summer, and every afternoon. But to spend all day every day for 10 weeks coming up with activities for all of us would get boring for everyone. At camp they get to do exciting activities and be with friends their own age. One poster said a lot of kids would rather spend all summer with their parents. My children love spending time with me. But after a few days with me, they beg to play with friends their own age!

I think you are referring to my post when you say about lots of kids wanting to spend summer with their parents. I also stay at home and fortunately for us, many of my sons friends have a SAHM, so we have lots of play dates all summer. My sons friends come to our house or he goes to his friends houses. We are very lucky that way, but if I were in your situation, I could understand why camps would be a good option! It wouldn't work for us though, because those camps are very expensive!

[Anonymous]

Not for mine who wants to know what's next after a full day at camp. He could do swim team and still have energy to play.

[Anonymous]

Yes, our neighborhood is full of kids and SAHM's. All day camp would seem weird here unless you worked.

[Anonymous]

My mom was a SAHM and I went to camp all day for 8 weeks each summer from the summer before I turned 4 until the summer I was 13. When I was 14 I worked at a camp during the day and then retail at night and on the weekends.

After I'd get home from camp I'd go to the park, play basketball in the yard, ride my bike, run through sprinklers, go play tennis, go swim, etc. No such thing as "too much" for me.

[Anonymous]

My mother was a SAHM and I always went to summer camp as a kid, granted from 9-3 and not all day because my parents didn't need the childcare. I always hated it. It wasn't the hours, it was that I wasn't into sports and the camp wanted us to run around all day.

So it sounds like the issue is that your parents picked a camp that was a poor fit for you, not that the camp was "too much." My son hates sports and goes to a chess camp and a nature camp from 9-4. We don't need that many hours of care, since my parents are retired and watch him during the summer, but he likes the camps and wants to go.

[Anonymous]

My kids are 7 and 10 and have done camp like that since they were 5. They've never been burnt out and always have a great time. If they were home, they'd just want to watch YouTube and play video games all day.

[Anonymous]

When I was a SAHM, my kids did about 4 weeks of camp, mornings only or 9-3, and then we mixed in some travel and some free weeks. The free weeks got old pretty quickly since their friends were generally either on vacation (if SAHP) or at camp (if WOHP). I went back to work when they were in K and 2nd and they've generally spent 7-8 of 10 summer weeks in camps. After a couple years of the camps I suggested we get a sitter so they could just hang out at home, go to the pool, or other outings and they were not interested. It took a few years to figure out a good set of camps and the drop-off/pick-up logistics are a hassle since they like different things. But, overall camp has been great for them.

For the OP, I wouldn't jump right into 5 weeks at one camp since you don't know if it will be a good camp for your child. One camp people consistently rave about was considered "blah" by my kids and one camp DS absolutely loves my DD hates. You have to find the right fit. I'd probably try the camp you are considering for a max of 2 weeks, and try 1-2 other camps for 1-2 weeks if you want to fill 5 weeks.

[Anonymous]

The undertones and jabs at working moms on this thread are priceless!

In my neighborhood, all of the elementary age kids do camp. I carpool to and from with SAHMs, WOHMs, and WAHMs.

We are in N. Arlington with a huge number of school-age kids. The kids all go to their favorite camps with friends. The hours are generally 9-3pm or 9-4pm.

There is not a stigma attached to sending your kids to camp. They kids have a few favorites that they make sure I've signed them up for each year.

I WAH. My kids do a 2-week soccer camp that they love and have been doing since Kindergarten. They do another lego/harry potter one. They LOVE going to these.

I send mine 4 weeks out of the summer. We vacation another 4 weeks. The first week out of school is always a 'chill' week. They are inevitably rearing to go to camp by the end of it.

The camps are VERY different from school. My boys love them. I also have offered the college-age sitter---but all their friends are in camps too. We go to the pool when they get home, before dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working parents do this all the time without an issue, and for much younger kids. It is fine.

But kids with SAHP are less used to this. That would probably be too much for my 8 yo, and waaaaay to much for my 5 yo. My niece and nephew have done it since they were 2 though. But they had no other choice.

Kids with SAHP get underestimated by their parents. Many kids love all day camp, and many would choose it over being with their tyoe A sahm parents.

Not necessarily. Im a working mom and have an AuPair for my school aged children because they badically told me they were sick of the grind and wanted more downtime. We now do a blend of 2 weeks vacation, 5 weeks camp, and 4 weeks doentime at home. I only pick camps that are not daycare focused, but shortened days, such as 9-3. On thr weeks at home, they do lots of pool time, going into the city, and early movies and sich.

Howevet, I do find that it is really hard to find neighborhood kids. Most are in camps no matter if they have a SAHP or working parents. Out AP had to do a lot of work to keep them engaged, or else they will play video games all day or fight with each other constantly.

[Anonymous]

My kids have the unfortunate of having 2 parents who work outside the house with limited vacation. They have been in all day camp (8-5:30) since they were in PK. We try to take our 1 week of vacation the week before school starts to give them a break and a change of scenery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's near our house, and every week is a different topic. Goes from 9 am to 4 pm. Too much?

No. it's fine. Don't understand why you would ask this about an almost 10 year old. If your child was 5 or under I might understand. But, I assume your kid goes to school all day, and you don't pull out half days because your DC can't handle it?

[Anonymous]

I haven't put my kids in a camp yet. Is there is a directory of camps somewhere?

I've seen some kids at a camp at a gym and it looked so boring. I felt sorry for the kids and the adults in charge seemed uninspired.