Anonymous wrote:I would like to go to our school's camp just because I am confident that the counselors are vetted. I am really not trying to leave my kid with predators.

Camps are molestation ground central.

You need therapy.

OP. Thanks for all the comments. We are planning on hiring a summer nanny and do camp for a few weeks. Visit grandparents the last couple of weeks.

Where do we find a responsible college or late high school student who could cover a few weeks in June and August when camp is out?

For the youngest kids, going to camp at their own school is a great idea. It helps them feel like they "own" the place and establishes some continuity through the summer months. (Remember, young children don't experience these things the way adults do.)

If you have a child who's going to start in the fall, camp in the preceding summer is awesome as an introduction. Both of my kids did that and loved it.

Anonymous wrote:Mine do camp at their own school and then we take vacation the weeks that camp doesn't cover.

+1

Last summer we sent our 3 year old to Landon for most of the summer and took our summer vacation the last 2 weeks when most camps were closed or did not offer full day camps. This year I found that YMCA camps go through the entire summer starting at age 4 at least so that may be an option for end of summer if we don't go away for a full 2 weeks.

You can always hire a college student to babysit during the summer.

Anonymous wrote:Trying to determine for 3yr old for summer. Leaning towards a nanny for the summer but will still need between mid August (when most students leave) to early September. And our school won't have camp during that period either. Till school started this year, we had a full time nanny so didn't face the situation before.

I actually became a SAHM working limited part time hours at home. We found between summers, breaks, random days off, sicknesses, and activities, it was very stressful having 3 kids in school and managing everything with 2 working parents. It was much easier to work when they were in daycare. Best decision I ever made. I will go back full time eventually.

I would like to go to our school's camp just because I am confident that the counselors are vetted. I am really not trying to leave my kid with predators.

Camps are molestation ground central.

Mine do camp at their own school and then we take vacation the weeks that camp doesn't cover.

When my kids were three I put them in camp at their own school - the next summer I started moving them around to other schools to give them a break from their school and time w new kids - but at 3 since they are still so young I def went w what they knew

This has been a big frustration for us with a five year old. My dd's school offers 6 weeks of camp for the 11 week summer, and the local full day camps seem to all start at age 6. I think we'll get some part time nanny care, cobble together a few days with a high school babysitter, and take a lot of our vacation time.

Welcome to the problem of two working parents -- what to do with kids on summer break! I have kids off varying ages and have done the school camps in the past. However, while one fancies himself too old for the camp, the younger ones tend to enjoy them (for the most part). The problem with a nanny is whether the older ones will be bored...so I will likely have to employ the most expensive solution of a nanny who also drives them to some half-day or 3-day camps here and there.

We use the school camp. Familiar environment and typically the lead counselors are teachers, so there are familiar faces. But my kids don't like a lot of change and have a tough time in new places.

Trying to determine for 3yr old for summer. Leaning towards a nanny for the summer but will still need between mid August (when most students leave) to early September. And our school won't have camp during that period either. Till school started this year, we had a full time nanny so didn't face the situation before.