Anonymous
04/17/2026 16:20
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Summer school PE in June, day camp junior counselor, 2 weeks sleepaway camp
For those of you whose kids mostly hang out - do they have a parent at home? I know dd would like to do this more (although the day camp thing is 100% her choice - it is her happy place - a camp in the woods with no amenities or bathrooms) but we are at work during the day and she is not in biking distance of friends or town pool. I did tell her she can skip three days of summer school, since they can have 3 absences and still get credit. I just don't want her home alone the whole month sitting in the house.
Our kids mostly hang out at home/in the neighborhood. They do some neighborhood jobs like babysitting, some summers take a class or a sports clinic, and sometimes go away for some type of camp as well as family vacation. But when they're hanging out at home it works because -- I sometimes can WFH and even when I can't DH and I flex so I leave at like 9AM and he's home by like 3PM so they're not home alone all day every day, there are two of them (ages 14 and 16) so they do stuff together like card games and walking/biking places, they're friends with neighbors who are also sometimes home, we're walking/biking distance to our pool and to the grocery store/restaurants/etc. The biggest issue is not allowing them to end up on tech all day, which admittedly is a challenge, but having the pool and friends nearby helps. It also helps to leave them money to go out for lunch or for starbucks or to buy a new book at the bookstore, etc., to motivate them to get out and do things every day.
So they watch TV all day.
🙄 the PP pretty much described the summer before HS for me and yes I watched a ton of soap operas and went to the pool. I am a fully functional and gainfully employed adult now.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 15:48
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Hoping to get started on the community service requirement for high school. Three weeks of summer school (for high school credit). Some family travel here and there.
Otherwise going to the gym and a lot of video games, unfortunately. May be able to convince him to do some random day trips to the beach. Or for him to go to a city pool with friends.
Otherwise going to the gym and a lot of video games, unfortunately. May be able to convince him to do some random day trips to the beach. Or for him to go to a city pool with friends.
Anonymous
04/17/2026 07:20
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:At that age, mine did the following:
-took Econ online
-summer swim team
-travel with family
-just hanging out— swimming, meeting with friends, reading books, hiking, outings with parent and sibling, etc. Was 13 most of the summer, so no job.
Me again. I forgot to add 3 weeks of marching band camp. And to answer another PP— yes, there’s a parent at home. So plenty of chances for kid to be driven to pool, outings, to meet up with friends. Little screen time, but lots of fun time at pool, etc.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 16:15
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
3 weeks of sleepaway camp
Family trip
Pool, friends, mall etc
Family trip
Pool, friends, mall etc
Anonymous
04/16/2026 15:33
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Summer school PE in June, day camp junior counselor, 2 weeks sleepaway camp
For those of you whose kids mostly hang out - do they have a parent at home? I know dd would like to do this more (although the day camp thing is 100% her choice - it is her happy place - a camp in the woods with no amenities or bathrooms) but we are at work during the day and she is not in biking distance of friends or town pool. I did tell her she can skip three days of summer school, since they can have 3 absences and still get credit. I just don't want her home alone the whole month sitting in the house.
Our kids mostly hang out at home/in the neighborhood. They do some neighborhood jobs like babysitting, some summers take a class or a sports clinic, and sometimes go away for some type of camp as well as family vacation. But when they're hanging out at home it works because -- I sometimes can WFH and even when I can't DH and I flex so I leave at like 9AM and he's home by like 3PM so they're not home alone all day every day, there are two of them (ages 14 and 16) so they do stuff together like card games and walking/biking places, they're friends with neighbors who are also sometimes home, we're walking/biking distance to our pool and to the grocery store/restaurants/etc. The biggest issue is not allowing them to end up on tech all day, which admittedly is a challenge, but having the pool and friends nearby helps. It also helps to leave them money to go out for lunch or for starbucks or to buy a new book at the bookstore, etc., to motivate them to get out and do things every day.
So they watch TV all day.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 15:28
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Mine is in 9th now, but last summer she did:
2 weeks of sleepaway camp
2 weeks of a summer sports program
1 week of rock climbing day camp
2 weeks vacation with me
2 weeks vacation with her Dad and stepmom
A short road trip to do some early college visits (her choice, not our pressure and we took it very casually)
2 weeks of sleepaway camp
2 weeks of a summer sports program
1 week of rock climbing day camp
2 weeks vacation with me
2 weeks vacation with her Dad and stepmom
A short road trip to do some early college visits (her choice, not our pressure and we took it very casually)
Anonymous
04/16/2026 15:27
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
In MCPS -
Lounging around and knocking out the Health requirements online.
As a rising 10th, she lounged around and did an online Physics class, to get a pre-req out of the way for her future STEM APs.
This year as a rising 11th grader, she has an internship and will prep for the Aug SAT. No more lounging around!
Please give your young teen plenty of downtime during the summer. After that it definitely heats up.
Lounging around and knocking out the Health requirements online.
As a rising 10th, she lounged around and did an online Physics class, to get a pre-req out of the way for her future STEM APs.
This year as a rising 11th grader, she has an internship and will prep for the Aug SAT. No more lounging around!
Please give your young teen plenty of downtime during the summer. After that it definitely heats up.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 15:19
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:Hanging out at the pool and trying to get to second base! He's 14! Why are people stressing about this? Do you think that stress doesn’t rub off on your kids? No wonder this generation has a mental health crisis.
NP. I’m not a tiger parent, it’s a perfectly valid question. They’re outgrowing most day camps but working parents may not want them home alone all day for weeks on end.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 14:17
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:Summer school PE in June, day camp junior counselor, 2 weeks sleepaway camp
For those of you whose kids mostly hang out - do they have a parent at home? I know dd would like to do this more (although the day camp thing is 100% her choice - it is her happy place - a camp in the woods with no amenities or bathrooms) but we are at work during the day and she is not in biking distance of friends or town pool. I did tell her she can skip three days of summer school, since they can have 3 absences and still get credit. I just don't want her home alone the whole month sitting in the house.
Our kids mostly hang out at home/in the neighborhood. They do some neighborhood jobs like babysitting, some summers take a class or a sports clinic, and sometimes go away for some type of camp as well as family vacation. But when they're hanging out at home it works because -- I sometimes can WFH and even when I can't DH and I flex so I leave at like 9AM and he's home by like 3PM so they're not home alone all day every day, there are two of them (ages 14 and 16) so they do stuff together like card games and walking/biking places, they're friends with neighbors who are also sometimes home, we're walking/biking distance to our pool and to the grocery store/restaurants/etc. The biggest issue is not allowing them to end up on tech all day, which admittedly is a challenge, but having the pool and friends nearby helps. It also helps to leave them money to go out for lunch or for starbucks or to buy a new book at the bookstore, etc., to motivate them to get out and do things every day.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 13:10
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
MBSYEP, 6 weeks
One family trip
Some down time hanging around town
Summer homework
One family trip
Some down time hanging around town
Summer homework
Anonymous
04/16/2026 12:52
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Mine is doing one week of basketball camp at Good Counsel
One week of police camp thru MCPD
2 nights residential camp at UMD for soccer
So 2.5 weeks of camp which is less than prior summers.
One week at Rehoboth.
The rest of the time, pool, and I’m not sure what else yet. I don’t know if HS will have sports stuff for her to do, I’ve heard they have workouts or something for her sport so didnt want to plan too much
I do enforce one phone/tablet free day per week. She can pick the day. Forces her to do other things she enjoys that she won’t do if the electronics are always at hand.
One week of police camp thru MCPD
2 nights residential camp at UMD for soccer
So 2.5 weeks of camp which is less than prior summers.
One week at Rehoboth.
The rest of the time, pool, and I’m not sure what else yet. I don’t know if HS will have sports stuff for her to do, I’ve heard they have workouts or something for her sport so didnt want to plan too much
I do enforce one phone/tablet free day per week. She can pick the day. Forces her to do other things she enjoys that she won’t do if the electronics are always at hand.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 12:44
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Summer swim team, volunteer for swim team, 1 week of camp, prepare for a HS sport, and travel.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 12:25
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Seven weeks of sleepaway camp. Visit grandma. Eat. Sleep. Train a bit for their fall sport. Read a few books.
Let your kid be a kid and have joy and happiness in their life. Plenty of time for work.
Why do some of you feel the need to have this lecture-y tone? I don't get it. The OP asked for options for the summer for a rising 9th grader. Who the heck are you to imply the OP doesn't want her kid to have joy and happiness in life. Seriously park the judge bus and hop off. List some options and go on with your day.
DP. Your tone is much more lecture-y. You seem to be driving the judge bus…
Anonymous
04/16/2026 12:15
Subject: Rising 9th grader summer options
Anonymous wrote:Seven weeks of sleepaway camp. Visit grandma. Eat. Sleep. Train a bit for their fall sport. Read a few books.
Let your kid be a kid and have joy and happiness in their life. Plenty of time for work.
Why do some of you feel the need to have this lecture-y tone? I don't get it. The OP asked for options for the summer for a rising 9th grader. Who the heck are you to imply the OP doesn't want her kid to have joy and happiness in life. Seriously park the judge bus and hop off. List some options and go on with your day.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 12:13
Subject: Re:Rising 9th grader summer options
Mine did summer swim team at that age and also was a counselor in training. And then family trips.
My kid actually prefers to be busy and doesn't want to lay around the house all summer. Kids are different. Not everyone is forcing their teenager out of the house to do things.
My kid actually prefers to be busy and doesn't want to lay around the house all summer. Kids are different. Not everyone is forcing their teenager out of the house to do things.