My 13 year old is planning to spend the first half of the summer doing summer swim and then structuring his own time. He won’t be “doing nothing”, he’ll be busy but he will be doing things of his own choosing. In the past, that has included things like bike rides, baking, mowing lawns for $, pick up basketball, etc . . . He turns 14 late July and has already lined up a job for August.

His brother at 13 did summer swim in the a.m. and a musical theater production in the afternoon.

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked that people just send their kids off to months of camps. Don’t you miss them? My kids are the best during summer. It’s so much more laxed. No grades to argue about. Watching them work, volunteer, find things to do with friends, and go on weekend vacations with us or their friends

I just can’t imagine an empty house all summer. That’s just sad to me.

You do you. My kids love their specialty day camp and their four weeks at overnight camp. They experience and learn a level of independence they’d never get at home for an entire summer. They focus on their own interests and meet new people.

Some people view camps as opportunities to explore new people, places and experiences, which is a foundation of raising well rounded, independent children who can navigate different social settings well. If you think keeping them home with you can provide them the same opportunities, good on you.

Anonymous wrote:What are people meaning by “swim team.”

IMO the neighborhood and country club pool “swim teams” that are often referenced are for kids under 12 and aren’t actual swim teams.

The genuine USA Swimming club swim teams train year round. Unless you are swimming regularly, you wouldn’t be able to keep up just jumping in for a few weeks in the summer, especially if swimming with 13 and over kids.

You don’t get to change the meaning of words so that you can feel superior. It just makes you look like an idiot.

Everyone knows there is a difference between rec and club sports in every sport, and a place for both. My 13 year old plays a sport at a high level, and does other sports at a rec level, including summer swim.

DD 13 will be an assistant at an art studio, which will not be paid but at least I don’t have to pay to enroll her so it’s a win-win with getting job experience and her being out of the house and busy. 2–3 weeks of a very expensive theater camp is all we can swing this summer. babysitting, dog walking, which she advertises with flyers in mailboxes in our surrounding neighborhoods. We have given her very clear expectations: if she wants to go to the movies, Starbucks, buy frivolous stuff like make up, she has to earn her money to pay for it so she’s very motivated to find jobs that pay. It’s a tough age for that but I also think the creativity that it evokes is great for kids at this age and stretches them to imagine what’s possible. Don’t make their summers too “easy” at this age is my best advice. And you’ll be surprised what they come up with.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swim team and preteam coach
Music lessons 1-2/week
Band camp (2 weeks)
Vacation (1 week)

And wayyyy too much screen time; I guarantee.

Where is two weeks of band camp?

-Franklin Band and Orchestra camp in Chantilly
-Also there is a week long one at George Mason through the Mason Community Arts
-There are probably more — this area actually has a lot of day camps for music!

I am shocked that people just send their kids off to months of camps. Don’t you miss them? My kids are the best during summer. It’s so much more laxed. No grades to argue about. Watching them work, volunteer, find things to do with friends, and go on weekend vacations with us or their friends

I just can’t imagine an empty house all summer. That’s just sad to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband grew up really poor in rural MO and he wishes he had something (anything!) to do during the summers. Our kids went to rec camps when younger and now as teens, will work some and hit the pool and do nothing. I’m all for it.

What all your parents don’t seem to be getting is kids don’t “do nothing.” if they don’t have enough activity to keep them productively busy, they will get into trouble or see things online they shouldn’t or pick up bad habits. It’s human nature. If you don’t have a daily motivation to be productive in someway, you will go astray.

This is THE dumbest thing I have ever heard. Almost all teens do not go away to sleep away camps for the summer (only upper middle class who don’t care about their kids and Jewish kids.) And most teens don’t have weeks and weeks if structured activities planned by Mommy.

And almost all of these teens don’t go astray. LOL

Have you heard about this generation of college students that always cry to go home, have no idea how to structure their lives, and literally can not make it on their own? They were raised by coddling mommies who plan, take care, and structured their kids entire day for 18 years. Leaving them with zero communication skills, autonomy, street smarts, or how to handle their own lives when needed. God forbid if they are bored and have to maybe create their own fun instead of being told where to go and what to do every 30min of every day.

So please go away with your thoughts that teens need structure 24/7.

This reads like sour grapes to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband grew up really poor in rural MO and he wishes he had something (anything!) to do during the summers. Our kids went to rec camps when younger and now as teens, will work some and hit the pool and do nothing. I’m all for it.

What all your parents don’t seem to be getting is kids don’t “do nothing.” if they don’t have enough activity to keep them productively busy, they will get into trouble or see things online they shouldn’t or pick up bad habits. It’s human nature. If you don’t have a daily motivation to be productive in someway, you will go astray.

We're talking about kids 13 and younger. Even at 14 and younger if kids are already engaging in risky activities there is way more going on than boredom.

Eh. I don’t think most young teens are doing anything super risky. But they are certainly watching a tons of YouTube garbage that can be damaging and/or suggestive for negative behaviors. Or playing video games. If your teen doesn’t have camp, a job, or a scheduled activity they will 100% be on YouTube, social media, TikTok or playing video games all the minutes they aren’t busy and you aren’t around. Not a great way to spend several hours per day for 10 weeks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband grew up really poor in rural MO and he wishes he had something (anything!) to do during the summers. Our kids went to rec camps when younger and now as teens, will work some and hit the pool and do nothing. I’m all for it.

What all your parents don’t seem to be getting is kids don’t “do nothing.” if they don’t have enough activity to keep them productively busy, they will get into trouble or see things online they shouldn’t or pick up bad habits. It’s human nature. If you don’t have a daily motivation to be productive in someway, you will go astray.

We're talking about kids 13 and younger. Even at 14 and younger if kids are already engaging in risky activities there is way more going on than boredom.

Anonymous wrote:What are people meaning by “swim team.”

IMO the neighborhood and country club pool “swim teams” that are often referenced are for kids under 12 and aren’t actual swim teams.

The genuine USA Swimming club swim teams train year round. Unless you are swimming regularly, you wouldn’t be able to keep up just jumping in for a few weeks in the summer, especially if swimming with 13 and over kids.

Our pool is 18 and younger swim team as are all the ones we compete against. Kids from college come back to do their last year of eligibility or help coach the littles

Anonymous wrote:What are people meaning by “swim team.”

IMO the neighborhood and country club pool “swim teams” that are often referenced are for kids under 12 and aren’t actual swim teams.

The genuine USA Swimming club swim teams train year round. Unless you are swimming regularly, you wouldn’t be able to keep up just jumping in for a few weeks in the summer, especially if swimming with 13 and over kids.

Summer swim team is not the same as cub swim. Some do both some don’t. My 13yo enjoys summer swim and doesn’t do club anymore. We are a division N pool. She swims in A meets and enjoys it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband grew up really poor in rural MO and he wishes he had something (anything!) to do during the summers. Our kids went to rec camps when younger and now as teens, will work some and hit the pool and do nothing. I’m all for it.

What all your parents don’t seem to be getting is kids don’t “do nothing.” if they don’t have enough activity to keep them productively busy, they will get into trouble or see things online they shouldn’t or pick up bad habits. It’s human nature. If you don’t have a daily motivation to be productive in someway, you will go astray.

This is THE dumbest thing I have ever heard. Almost all teens do not go away to sleep away camps for the summer (only upper middle class who don’t care about their kids and Jewish kids.) And most teens don’t have weeks and weeks if structured activities planned by Mommy.

And almost all of these teens don’t go astray. LOL

Have you heard about this generation of college students that always cry to go home, have no idea how to structure their lives, and literally can not make it on their own? They were raised by coddling mommies who plan, take care, and structured their kids entire day for 18 years. Leaving them with zero communication skills, autonomy, street smarts, or how to handle their own lives when needed. God forbid if they are bored and have to maybe create their own fun instead of being told where to go and what to do every 30min of every day.

So please go away with your thoughts that teens need structure 24/7.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband grew up really poor in rural MO and he wishes he had something (anything!) to do during the summers. Our kids went to rec camps when younger and now as teens, will work some and hit the pool and do nothing. I’m all for it.

What all your parents don’t seem to be getting is kids don’t “do nothing.” if they don’t have enough activity to keep them productively busy, they will get into trouble or see things online they shouldn’t or pick up bad habits. It’s human nature. If you don’t have a daily motivation to be productive in someway, you will go astray.

That is so not true, its a generalization. Not all kids/teens will be up to no good if not kept busy. Also, just because a kids doesn't go to summer camp or is in a million activities doesn't mean they can't have a good summer or have fun. The only way this line of thinking might make sense is if they have no access to other kids all summer

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband grew up really poor in rural MO and he wishes he had something (anything!) to do during the summers. Our kids went to rec camps when younger and now as teens, will work some and hit the pool and do nothing. I’m all for it.

What all your parents don’t seem to be getting is kids don’t “do nothing.” if they don’t have enough activity to keep them productively busy, they will get into trouble or see things online they shouldn’t or pick up bad habits. It’s human nature. If you don’t have a daily motivation to be productive in someway, you will go astray.

I’ll report back after this summer if they’ve gone astray.

I’m not keeping them busy all the time from morning to evening like when they were younger. They’ll work limited hours, have a few academic and sports obligations, and then hang out with friends and pool time. They bust their butts during the school year and some lazy downtime is fine by me.

What are people meaning by “swim team.”

IMO the neighborhood and country club pool “swim teams” that are often referenced are for kids under 12 and aren’t actual swim teams.

The genuine USA Swimming club swim teams train year round. Unless you are swimming regularly, you wouldn’t be able to keep up just jumping in for a few weeks in the summer, especially if swimming with 13 and over kids.