Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
By early March each year, I usually have our calendar for the summer all figured out. Between a few camps and a couple of family trips, summer ends up being a good balance for our family between organized activity and time off to just hang out at home.
This year, of course, is very different. I am finding that all our usual activities fall into one of three categories: 1). cancelled for the entire summer 2). cancelled for June, but still unsure about July and Aug (some allow for registration, others are on hold) or 3). going on as planned, but with social distancing guidelines in place that may significantly affect the camp experience.
So I'm treading water here trying to figure out what I'll do and whether or not camps are prepared and if so, to what extent.
I don't expect any camp to be open. I don't expect the ability to travel. I don't expect museums, libraries, or any indoor community center to open. Maybe pools, but I wouldn't count on it. Heck, they're letting people open thrift stores, but playgrounds are still closed off.
We are stuck for the duration.
If cases spike and most everyone gets it in the next two months, maybe schools will partially reopen by the fall. Otherwise, barring a miracle, it's probably going to be over a year before treatments and vaccines allow for anything much beyond lots and lots of at-home childcare/education.
We are considering evacuating the SAHP and kids to a country without COVID-19 shutdowns, because we have that option, though it would mean splitting up the family.
I still have no idea. I had registered the kids for two camps. One that says they are still going on as it involves assisting with the training of therapy dogs the other is a volleyball camp/traditional camp. The traditional camp says that it's still going on but then towards the end of the email says that it will let us know.
I haven't signed them up for anything else because from what I've read they won't be able to swim or go on field trips and they will have to social distance which means they will need to cut the number of attendees of the camps to be able to do that.
I have no idea when we will go back into the office so I'm going to keep them home until I have to come up with a plan.
By early March each year, I usually have our calendar for the summer all figured out. Between a few camps and a couple of family trips, summer ends up being a good balance for our family between organized activity and time off to just hang out at home.
This year, of course, is very different. I am finding that all our usual activities fall into one of three categories: 1). cancelled for the entire summer 2). cancelled for June, but still unsure about July and Aug (some allow for registration, others are on hold) or 3). going on as planned, but with social distancing guidelines in place that may significantly affect the camp experience.
So I'm treading water here trying to figure out what I'll do and whether or not camps are prepared and if so, to what extent.
How about everyone else?
Use this as an opportunity to be spontaneous and not overschedule you kids.
I know that some overnight camps are opening at lower capacity. Seems to me that spending 3-4 weeks in a cabin away from the city would be the perfect way to avoid the virus. Quarantining of sorts.
The camp I went to as a child was actually built as a safe space for children to get away from the polio epidemic that raged in cities during the summers.
Our local pool opens next week and I expect to see lots of kids there.
Use this as an opportunity to be spontaneous and not overschedule you kids.
I agree that summer is a time to relax and reflect so I try to have a good balance of time at camp and time at home precisely to avoid the over scheduling you describe above. That, and to allow for both the kids and I to get a break from each other when we need to. I also think the overnight camps, in particular, help to promote independence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zentropa
I know that some overnight camps are opening at lower capacity. Seems to me that spending 3-4 weeks in a cabin away from the city would be the perfect way to avoid the virus. Quarantining of sorts.
Yes, one of the overnight camps I have sent them to in the past, indicates they've had a lot of cancellations from out of state campers and expect to run much smaller camps this year. They also sent me a document that was several pages long describing the safety and health protocols they will be implementing. Since it's a camp the kids have done before, I was familiar with their usual activities, and can say that the overall experience will be much smaller, cohesive and less hectic, which has both pros and cons.
Regardless, we all know this year is going to be a new experience for us all.
We had ours signed up for swim lessons. Those are cancelled until further notice.
My Girls Scout Troop was registered for a sleep over at the Zoo (now closed) and a week long Girl Scout Camp (cancelled entirely)
We as a troop leaders are planning tent sleep overs at one of our houses starting late June and rotating groups of only 4 girls at a time to make up for all their cancelled plans. Understandably, not all of the parents are ready to let their out of isolation. We just discussed it with each parent.
As of right now, that is the only thing planned for us. We have been isolating since March 15th so we will feel lucky just to get to visit with small groups of friends this summer.
Sleepaway camps are opening in some states. If your kid is old enough to go (and as long as they're not still wetting the bed, 8 is old enough, if they go with a friend or two or three), sleepaway camp offers the best opportunity to just be a kid this summer. Choose one that is operating in lockdown mode, so that essentially the whole camp is quarantined together.
The places my children normally go to are currently closed. One camp is already cancelled. They'll be stuck at home all summer. At least I get to save money.
The places my children normally go to are currently closed. One camp is already cancelled. They'll be stuck at home all summer. At least I get to save money.
Same here My oldest has a summer job, but the younger two will just be chilling at home most of the summer.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My oldest has a summer job, but the younger two will just be chilling at home most of the summer.
