Parents of small children - how are you managing RTO?

[Anonymous]

[quote][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.[/quote]

I’d like to know this too! My kids are both elementary but too old for the daycare camps that they have at places like Kindercare. The regular camps like the county, Girl Scout, ballet camps all run at most 9-4.

What do people do for middle schoolers? I never went to day camps after elementary school and just associate them with little kids.

Our current plan is to send our kids off for the summer. 4 weeks one set of grandparents and 4 weeks the other side. Kind of sad about that but we aren’t sure either of us will have jobs and can’t spend 10k if there’s a good chance we will be home. We need to save money for being laid off. [/quote]

Man I wish we could do this but my FIL is too old and my parents don't have the bandwidth. They keep really busy and don't have the attention span to hang with the kids for more than 2 hours at a time. My mom actually sent us links to 9-3 PM day camps near them this summer, saying my spouse could drive the kids hundreds of miles to go to camps with limited hours there, while I stayed here to work in person. I had to tell her that doesn't help, there are day camps with limited hours here too....[/quote][/quote]

But couldn’t your mom drop off and pick up the kids at the limited hours camps near her?[/quote]

I don't know. She didn't offer and I'm not assuming. Like I said, she keeps very busy.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.[/quote]

I’d like to know this too! My kids are both elementary but too old for the daycare camps that they have at places like Kindercare. The regular camps like the county, Girl Scout, ballet camps all run at most 9-4.

What do people do for middle schoolers? I never went to day camps after elementary school and just associate them with little kids.

Our current plan is to send our kids off for the summer. 4 weeks one set of grandparents and 4 weeks the other side. Kind of sad about that but we aren’t sure either of us will have jobs and can’t spend 10k if there’s a good chance we will be home. We need to save money for being laid off. [/quote]

Man I wish we could do this but my FIL is too old and my parents don't have the bandwidth. They keep really busy and don't have the attention span to hang with the kids for more than 2 hours at a time. My mom actually sent us links to 9-3 PM day camps near them this summer, saying my spouse could drive the kids hundreds of miles to go to camps with limited hours there, while I stayed here to work in person. I had to tell her that doesn't help, there are day camps with limited hours here too....[/quote]

But couldn’t your mom drop off and pick up the kids at the limited hours camps near her?[/quote]

8 years old is age legally kid can be home alone and walk home from bus.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.[/quote]

I’d like to know this too! My kids are both elementary but too old for the daycare camps that they have at places like Kindercare. The regular camps like the county, Girl Scout, ballet camps all run at most 9-4.

What do people do for middle schoolers? I never went to day camps after elementary school and just associate them with little kids.

Our current plan is to send our kids off for the summer. 4 weeks one set of grandparents and 4 weeks the other side. Kind of sad about that but we aren’t sure either of us will have jobs and can’t spend 10k if there’s a good chance we will be home. We need to save money for being laid off. [/quote]

Man I wish we could do this but my FIL is too old and my parents don't have the bandwidth. They keep really busy and don't have the attention span to hang with the kids for more than 2 hours at a time. My mom actually sent us links to 9-3 PM day camps near them this summer, saying my spouse could drive the kids hundreds of miles to go to camps with limited hours there, while I stayed here to work in person. I had to tell her that doesn't help, there are day camps with limited hours here too....[/quote]

But couldn’t your mom drop off and pick up the kids at the limited hours camps near her?[/quote]

8 years old is age legally kid can be home alone and walk home from bus. [/quote]

What's legal and what's ok/appropriate are two different things. That's not ok and too young and many of us don't have family help. My mom is 10 minutes away and she's never babysat my now teenagers. She hasn't seen them in two years, preferring her boyfriend's family. (and now they don't care). She would not help even in an emergency, like a hospitalization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.

Look for extended day camp options/look at high schoolers/college kids coming back home to babysit or to potentially pick up if you're late.

Anyone you know a SAHP? Can you offer to pay them to watch your kids if some weeks no camp? If you do this make your kid a lunch and bring snacks. My mom did this when I was young and it gave the SAHP a little extra $. My mom also paid for a pool membership for both families so we could go to the town pool during the day (SAHP asked for this).

Take leave. My SIL works in public schools (not a teacher) doesn't get summers off, so she takes 1 day a week in the summer. Her husband takes 1 and then she uses both grandparents for the other 3 days. We don't live close-by, but it is frustrating because the one set of grandparents we share say they can't visit us because they have to "babysit" for poor SIL. They could afford camps, but refuse. We also asked if they could watch our kids for one week this summer and they refused because they have to babysit these other grandkids...

Ask other parents if they can pick-up or drop off. I have a neighbor who has work issues. I get her kid at aftercare and just bring him home until she can come get him. Her husband doesn't do much and could easily pick-up his kid, but she asked and I could see she was in a bind, so I am happy to do it. I have an extra booster, but only have 2 extra seats. I have to go pick up my kid at camp anyway so picking up 1-2 others and bringing them home for a bit isn't a big deal to me.

When my husband was a kid he visited his grandparents for 2 weeks in the summer. Could any family help at all? My mom is not even equipped for an overnight, she did it once when my child was in school and other parents called me about her, so never again. Nothing truly dangerous she was just yelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread did not age well. RTO should be the least of anyone's concerns. Having a job to RTO for is the real issue.

Everyone can decide for themselves what their "real issue" is. RTO extending the workday by 2 hrs for most people once you add commute time is a real issue with young kids and timing for school, camps etc. So yes people are allowed to talk about it.

Apart from RIFs some people will end up dropping out of the workforce because it's unmanageable or it's just not the life they want. People here are sharing tips and views, let them.

[Anonymous]

Congressional Camp goes through rising 9th grade. My kids loved Congo Camp. Older kids had day trips, outdoor skills, lots of fun stuff. Both of my kids enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread did not age well. RTO should be the least of anyone's concerns. Having a job to RTO for is the real issue.

Everyone can decide for themselves what their "real issue" is. RTO extending the workday by 2 hrs for most people once you add commute time is a real issue with young kids and timing for school, camps etc. So yes people are allowed to talk about it.

Apart from RIFs some people will end up dropping out of the workforce because it's unmanageable or it's just not the life they want. People here are sharing tips and views, let them.

It’s an issue for older kids with activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.

Look for extended day camp options/look at high schoolers/college kids coming back home to babysit or to potentially pick up if you're late.

Anyone you know a SAHP? Can you offer to pay them to watch your kids if some weeks no camp? If you do this make your kid a lunch and bring snacks. My mom did this when I was young and it gave the SAHP a little extra $. My mom also paid for a pool membership for both families so we could go to the town pool during the day (SAHP asked for this).

Take leave. My SIL works in public schools (not a teacher) doesn't get summers off, so she takes 1 day a week in the summer. Her husband takes 1 and then she uses both grandparents for the other 3 days. We don't live close-by, but it is frustrating because the one set of grandparents we share say they can't visit us because they have to "babysit" for poor SIL. They could afford camps, but refuse. We also asked if they could watch our kids for one week this summer and they refused because they have to babysit these other grandkids...

Ask other parents if they can pick-up or drop off. I have a neighbor who has work issues. I get her kid at aftercare and just bring him home until she can come get him. Her husband doesn't do much and could easily pick-up his kid, but she asked and I could see she was in a bind, so I am happy to do it. I have an extra booster, but only have 2 extra seats. I have to go pick up my kid at camp anyway so picking up 1-2 others and bringing them home for a bit isn't a big deal to me.

When my husband was a kid he visited his grandparents for 2 weeks in the summer. Could any family help at all? My mom is not even equipped for an overnight, she did it once when my child was in school and other parents called me about her, so never again. Nothing truly dangerous she was just yelling.

Great idea but not everyone has helpful grandparents or a lot of leave or a flexible job. Same with friend or neighbor help and I would only ask as a one time emergency. Daily is too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congressional Camp goes through rising 9th grade. My kids loved Congo Camp. Older kids had day trips, outdoor skills, lots of fun stuff. Both of my kids enjoyed it.

Ok this is a good example. 9am-4pm. Last summer, my kids went to a similar camp and I made my hours by teleworking two hours in the evenings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congressional Camp goes through rising 9th grade. My kids loved Congo Camp. Older kids had day trips, outdoor skills, lots of fun stuff. Both of my kids enjoyed it.

Ok this is a good example. 9am-4pm. Last summer, my kids went to a similar camp and I made my hours by teleworking two hours in the evenings.

Confessional camps offer extended day. Could go 7am-6pm —> 11 hours if needed

Extended Hours Program (EHP)
EHP is offered at both Congressional School and Sleepy Hollow Elementary School from the hours of 7:00 – 9:00 AM and 4:30 – 6:00 PM. Morning EHP is held exclusively inside and provides games, music, and more. Campers staying for Afternoon EHP are provided a snack and entertainment both indoors and outdoors.

We also used Camp Greenway at Madeira. They offered extended day programs too.

Also Fairfax County runs day camps.

We also hired college students in our neighborhood as the kids got older. College student would feed lunch, take to pool, take to 1/2 sports camps, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.

Rec center and county camps with after care. You've missed the boat. Sign up started already, what have you been doing???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congressional Camp goes through rising 9th grade. My kids loved Congo Camp. Older kids had day trips, outdoor skills, lots of fun stuff. Both of my kids enjoyed it.

Ok this is a good example. 9am-4pm. Last summer, my kids went to a similar camp and I made my hours by teleworking two hours in the evenings.

I did early drop off and late pickup at Congo Camp. It's available, you just have to register and pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Bullis School in Potomac is opening a Boarding School. Drop kids off in September and Pick them back up in June.

Then ship them off to sleepaway camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.

Rec center and county camps with after care. You've missed the boat. Sign up started already, what have you been doing???

Depends. Extended day at some of those gets you to an 8 hr day. Like instead of 9-3 it’s 9-5. When both parents commute, it is still challenging to make those hours. We are mostly sticking with camps at our ES this summer because the school year before/aftercare runs true full day camps. Like if you needed it 7am to 6pm. The kids tire of it after a few weeks but otherwise I’d be blowing all my leave to make camp pickup times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on how to handle summer camps with reduced hours? Both parents are Feds making it work during the school year with beforecare and aftercare.

Rec center and county camps with after care. You've missed the boat. Sign up started already, what have you been doing???

How nice that your rec center and county camps have aftercare! They're mainly 9-4 here.