Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bring in grandma. Hire a neighborhood teenager/college kid.
Piecemeal this summer together with your PTO, DH PTO, babysitter, 2 or 3 week-long camps, Grandma, etc.

You don't give a lot of context OP - not even your kids' ages.

We can afford camps. We don't send our kids to camps just to send our kids to camps. Our kids don't even ask to go to camps. I didn't even know that sending kids to camps was a status thing. Oh well.

^^^ Is this Op?

Her kids don't want to to go, what's so hard to understand? I'm not trying to be sparky, but kids don't need camp and 900 activities to have a great summer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it's not what OP wants to hear, but how did you not know this or prepare for this? Did someone in your family lose their job or did you have a financial set back this year?

Kids are expensive, this is not new information nor an unpublicized piece of information.

Np — wow. You are pretty out of touch PP.

+1 Also, kids are expensive but people are crazy with what they view as necessary for kids. We can afford camp but we don't do it because I think the prices are outrageous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bring in grandma. Hire a neighborhood teenager/college kid.
Piecemeal this summer together with your PTO, DH PTO, babysitter, 2 or 3 week-long camps, Grandma, etc.

You don't give a lot of context OP - not even your kids' ages.

We can afford camps. We don't send our kids to camps just to send our kids to camps. Our kids don't even ask to go to camps. I didn't even know that sending kids to camps was a status thing. Oh well.

Huh?

Anonymous wrote:Bring in grandma. Hire a neighborhood teenager/college kid.
Piecemeal this summer together with your PTO, DH PTO, babysitter, 2 or 3 week-long camps, Grandma, etc.

You don't give a lot of context OP - not even your kids' ages.

Grandma is not responsible for your children. She took care of her kids and you take care of yours!

Anonymous wrote:I know it's not what OP wants to hear, but how did you not know this or prepare for this? Did someone in your family lose their job or did you have a financial set back this year?

Kids are expensive, this is not new information nor an unpublicized piece of information.

Np — wow. You are pretty out of touch PP.

Anonymous wrote:Bring in grandma. Hire a neighborhood teenager/college kid.
Piecemeal this summer together with your PTO, DH PTO, babysitter, 2 or 3 week-long camps, Grandma, etc.

You don't give a lot of context OP - not even your kids' ages.

We can afford camps. We don't send our kids to camps just to send our kids to camps. Our kids don't even ask to go to camps. I didn't even know that sending kids to camps was a status thing. Oh well.

Bring in grandma. Hire a neighborhood teenager/college kid.
Piecemeal this summer together with your PTO, DH PTO, babysitter, 2 or 3 week-long camps, Grandma, etc.

You don't give a lot of context OP - not even your kids' ages.

How did you handle (or pay for childcare) coverage before this ie. when they younger?

Anonymous wrote:I feel like a failure.

Boo hoo. Lots of people can't afford food!

Not sure where you live, but most areas have a day camp programs that are inexpensive, or even free — although Covid may have changed that. Start by talking with an administrator at your child’s school. I have worked with many free or low cost summer programs housed in schools or that had bus pickups at local schools. Check out programs such as YMCA/YWCA, JCC, your community recreation center, churches and other religious institutions, and social service agencies. Scouting programs may even offer sleep away camps for reasonable fees. As an example, the Children’s Aid Society in NYC offers multiple day camps in urban areas, will bus kids to day camp programs in less urban areas, and will assist kids with scholarships to some sleep away camp programs.

Many churches offer vacation Bible school sessions that are free, and they are often open to all kids — not just to families of church members. Other camp programs offer scholarships. This will likely be an unpredictable summer, but there are usually a wide variety of options available at minimal cost, particularly if you can be flexible with scheduling and transportation.

We are not doing camp every single week of the summer this year. Since we are both still WFH, we have more bandwidth for 1/2 day camps and even full weeks with my elementary aged kid at home. Our pool will open, so she can do some worksheets and reading, then watch TV/screentime and then we'll hit the pool in the later afternoons.

Anonymous wrote:I know it's not what OP wants to hear, but how did you not know this or prepare for this? Did someone in your family lose their job or did you have a financial set back this year?

Kids are expensive, this is not new information nor an unpublicized piece of information.

Don't think that this is helpful at this point

Thank you. This is all appreciated.

If it's just socialization, our local high school usually runs half-day sports camps that are normally closer to $100 (not sure about this summer), you could see if there's something like that near you.

Fairfax County parks & rec has a few variety camps that are in the $250 range, and there are some that are 1/2 day that are less than $200.

Church camps are usually pretty inexpensive, like vacation bible school.

Camps scheduled for the week of July 4 are always less also, it's a nice way to do an expensive camp at a discount.