Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had no pool and not a single organized camp/event during the whole summer. We played with kids on the street and became very creative.

Key phrase here is “played with kids in the street.” That won’t be allowed this summer, most likely.

It is already going on.

Who is going to stop it? I see kids playing together everywhere.

Anonymous wrote:We had no pool and not a single organized camp/event during the whole summer. We played with kids on the street and became very creative.

Key phrase here is “played with kids in the street.” That won’t be allowed this summer, most likely.

We had no pool and not a single organized camp/event during the whole summer. We played with kids on the street and became very creative.

Kids will be watching TV, reading and making their own lunch, like I did, for 10+ years during the summer while my parents worked all summer. You can also give them a list of chores every week too.

They would teach me about cooking or sewing on the weekends. It's not the most fun thing in the world but I am much more prepared for the pandemic than many people.

Your kids will survive.

Anonymous wrote:My kids still go out and play and ride bikes. I don't hover. Age 8 and up is old enough.

Also: sprinkler in the backyard.

Also: learning to garden, weed/ mow lawn etc -- both son and daughter

Also: learning to sew --both son and daughter

Also: learning to do their own laundry

Also: learning to cook

Also: allowing them to paint their own room., any color, any style

The list for summer activities is endless. Just adjust for age appropriateness.

Some people have jobs and can’t spent all day teaching their kids to sew.

Anonymous wrote:I am still holding out hope that it will be ok for kids to play together in the neighborhood over the summer. Frankly, I think they better get it in outdoors over the summer. I hope I am wrong but I can’t imagine the winter being better in terms of seeing friends.

Most people are going to allow this. Whether the government gives its approval or not.

I am still holding out hope that it will be ok for kids to play together in the neighborhood over the summer. Frankly, I think they better get it in outdoors over the summer. I hope I am wrong but I can’t imagine the winter being better in terms of seeing friends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older mom here. Structured camps are overrated. Your kids crave the down time. Let them enjoy life. For the first time in their entire lives, every moment of their waking day is not planned for them by some adult. They are able to relax and play creatively. Let them.

I'm kind of tired of hearing this sentiment. Unstructured time is not fun when you can't see friends. THAT is the problem.

Yes!!! Obviously!!
Why are people saying it’s a 1960s summer? It’s NOT. Friends are key to the 1960s summer!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older mom here. Structured camps are overrated. Your kids crave the down time. Let them enjoy life. For the first time in their entire lives, every moment of their waking day is not planned for them by some adult. They are able to relax and play creatively. Let them.

I'm kind of tired of hearing this sentiment. Unstructured time is not fun when you can't see friends. THAT is the problem.

Two comments, both meant with kindness: 1) Maybe you could have used a little more unstructured time in your own life. This inability to tolerate and move past boredom is something many of us haven't had a chance to develop. 2) Life is not always fun. Sometimes we do things for other worthwhile reasons. The sooner your kids learn that the better their lifelong mental health.

Good luck!!

NP here. I agree with your points in general but it’s a case of “easier said than done” in this scenario. I am an introvert, we have childcare help, and my kids are young enough that we are their playmates. But parents who have limited time to spend with their kids, or have kids who miss their friends, are in a more difficult situation.

I do agree that kids who are old enough to understand should be shown a “this too shall pass” attitude, taught that they have it much better than others, and guided towards learning household tasks and independent pursuits they otherwise would not have had time for.

There are hundreds big thousands of families with no income coming in, very little food. Nobody gives a damn whether your precious snowflakes don't get to go to camp this summer!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older mom here. Structured camps are overrated. Your kids crave the down time. Let them enjoy life. For the first time in their entire lives, every moment of their waking day is not planned for them by some adult. They are able to relax and play creatively. Let them.

I'm kind of tired of hearing this sentiment. Unstructured time is not fun when you can't see friends. THAT is the problem.

I agree. My kid is awake 13 hours a day. most camps are about 6-7 hours. There is plenty of time for boredom and unstructured time.

Maybe you should teach them about DCUM so that they can deal with their boredom and unstructured time the way mom does, by complaining humorlessly about things that can't be helped....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older mom here. Structured camps are overrated. Your kids crave the down time. Let them enjoy life. For the first time in their entire lives, every moment of their waking day is not planned for them by some adult. They are able to relax and play creatively. Let them.

I'm kind of tired of hearing this sentiment. Unstructured time is not fun when you can't see friends. THAT is the problem.

I agree. My kid is awake 13 hours a day. most camps are about 6-7 hours. There is plenty of time for boredom and unstructured time.

Anonymous wrote:I remember basically sinking into a depression every summer. (I was one of the kids that didnt go to camp, and probably read about 10 books a week, but even though I love reading, it makes me depressed to do too much of it.)

I hope the libraries at least open up. We're spending a ton at Barnes & Noble and Amazon now and the older ones are re-reading everything. We're doing some overdrive books too, but it's hard because everything else is on the screens so it would be nice to have some things that arent on the screens.

I am amazed that you have gotten this far without buying Kindle. Im' a big fan of paper, but this has been the only thing between us and the abyss the past couple of months. You can get ebooks from the library (including any library system you used to have a card with or your friends/relatives have cards with). There is a lot of demand but if you get on the wait/holds list, your books do eventually become available. Also Amazon Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Free Time are both $8 or $9 a month and have a lot of great books. They also have a ton of bad books and it's hard to sort through the way they have it arranged, but some people have made lists of good stuff on there like:
https://somethewiser.com/2019/11/the-best-books-on-kindle-unlimited-for-all-ages.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older mom here. Structured camps are overrated. Your kids crave the down time. Let them enjoy life. For the first time in their entire lives, every moment of their waking day is not planned for them by some adult. They are able to relax and play creatively. Let them.

I'm kind of tired of hearing this sentiment. Unstructured time is not fun when you can't see friends. THAT is the problem.

Two comments, both meant with kindness: 1) Maybe you could have used a little more unstructured time in your own life. This inability to tolerate and move past boredom is something many of us haven't had a chance to develop. 2) Life is not always fun. Sometimes we do things for other worthwhile reasons. The sooner your kids learn that the better their lifelong mental health.

Good luck!!

Anonymous wrote:Older mom here. Structured camps are overrated. Your kids crave the down time. Let them enjoy life. For the first time in their entire lives, every moment of their waking day is not planned for them by some adult. They are able to relax and play creatively. Let them.

I'm kind of tired of hearing this sentiment. Unstructured time is not fun when you can't see friends. THAT is the problem.