Anonymous wrote:My daughter is an introvert and would HATE a 3 week sleep away camp. Personally if he's happy doing nothing let him. It's his summer break and before long he won't have the opportunity to just do nothing. You are the one who wants him to do something.

Thank you. Op, ask him what he wants to do, then let him do it.

My daughter is an introvert and would HATE a 3 week sleep away camp. Personally if he's happy doing nothing let him. It's his summer break and before long he won't have the opportunity to just do nothing. You are the one who wants him to do something.

Mine has a full-time summer camp counseling job, same as last year. I'm sure this isn't a perfect fit for all at age 14 and 15, but it's been great for my child, who does much better when kept busy. For future reference, counselors usually need to be a counselor-in-training first (and sometimes that involves parents paying for the child to be a part camper / part counselor), so if he'd be interested in that for next summer, you should look into CIT programs right now. Many might already be full for this summer.

Love the PP's idea of using this summer also to practice life skills, especially cooking. Thanks for the suggestion!

14 year old, rising freshman DS will do a week of sleep away camp in his specialized extracurricular activity, 4 weeks of 1/2 day band camp, followed by a week off and a couple weeks of family travel. Then a couple weeks completely off before school starts. During 1/2 day band camp and his first week off, he has to do the online high school finance credit pass fail (which is supposed to be doable in 1-2 hours a day over 5 weeks if he just needs a pass). So a mixed bag of keeping up with academics and extracurriculars and chill time. If I left him completely unstructured, he would play Minecraft 14 hours a day. Depending on where he goes to HS (waiting on TJ results) and whether he sticks with his instrument, he will either do summer school between freshman and sophomore years or will be very strongly encouraged to lifeguard at the neighborhood pool.

OP - You have gotten great ideas and if you would like him to do the summer camp, them volunteering would make sense at about 15-20 hours a week to really have a strong experience doing something. Getting certified this spring for life guarding even if he does not use it this summer is also a great idea for a future job when he would apply early.
I would also say if he is up for sitting or even doing activities with one or two younger boys in late afternoon/early evenings many Mom's in the neighborhood would love him. Or the idea of mowing a couple of lawns regularly during the summer for good money. Or if he is a bit altruistic maybe asking one senior citizen single or couple if they could use a little bit of extra help in the yard. This is a transition summer when volunteer work and jobs will be a part of his future resume. Of course, while you can present the options, do encourage him to do the research and make a decision he will enjoy.

Other time at home, it is a very good summer to be sure he has the skills of daily living down: does his own laundry, cleans is room/bath, helps out with yard work, washes the car if asked, can cook a few things for breakfast and dinner.....If not, take some time to teach him - all skills which will serve him well in college.

At 15, both my son and daughter worked all summer.

Anonymous wrote:My soon to be 14 DD will watch Netflix, read books, write stories, go to the pool, hang out with friends, go to the museums, ecperience history- think Gettysburg, Manassas battlefield, Williamsburg, enjoy the beach-family vacation, visit relatives and many more laid back, Tom Sawyer themed activities. DD is an aap A honor roll student who deserves downtime. My other DCs are younger, and will also ENJOY summer break!

In other words, she will watch tv half the time, and the other half of the time, mom will be the cruise director for the children's private tour of the DMV amusements. How is this different? Some kids don't have a SAHM, so the entertainment portion of the summer has to be outsourced. Kust because you're doing the driving doesn't make the activities you describe less programmed.

My DD is 15 this summer as well. She declined summer camp (she has been going since she was small and did not want to be among the few older campers). She will be doing a 1 week science camp for HS students, doing volunteer work all summer at a nature center (she has been doing this for 2 years) and will have a friend from out of town visit for a week.
We'll also be doing some day trips, visits from family, etc.

My son recently turned 15. He is lifeguarding at our neighborhood pool this summer.

My soon to be 14 DD will watch Netflix, read books, write stories, go to the pool, hang out with friends, go to the museums, ecperience history- think Gettysburg, Manassas battlefield, Williamsburg, enjoy the beach-family vacation, visit relatives and many more laid back, Tom Sawyer themed activities. DD is an aap A honor roll student who deserves downtime. My other DCs are younger, and will also ENJOY summer break!

My DS was 15 last summer. He did idtech camp, he worked a bit for me, he went to sleep away camp at the University of Rochester, and we all went on a family vacation.

Don't forget driver's ed! That is a great thing to do the summer you are 15. One of my kids tried to find a job that summer but it wasn't that easy (the following summer at age 16 he had his license and easily got a job lifeguarding). Also, volunteering, visiting family, and working on his sport.

My current 15 year old loves sleep-over camp so he is spending most of the summer away. He has been going to his camp for years though, and it would be tough to be a newcomer. If your DS is looking to go to camp for the first time, I'd sign him up for Outward Bound or some other kind of travel camp where the kids are all new to the program.