What are your kids doing this summer?
by Rachel Sarah
Filed under Kids, Single Parents, Tips & Advice
Hello! It’s only March and it’s time to plan for the summer? It’s true.
Every day when I go to pick my daughter up from school, clusters of moms are earnestly discussing summer plans:
“Is Sophie coming to the same camp as last year?”
“Can we schedule the sessions so that our kids can overlap that week?”
“How much are you paying for after-care for that camp?”
No matter where you live, finances are tight — and summer camp can be very pricey!
Fortunately, every summer, my daughter begs to go to her favorite local no frills camp. The kids spend lots of time playing outdoors, making arts and crafts, and singing.
Fortunately, this camp is affordable for a single mom on a tight budget.
Whew – big relief!
We understand that most of you are struggling with how to occupy your kids during the summer.
That’s why I’ve turned to our own Dr. Leah, aka The Sanity Fairy™, for some creative and affordable ways to keep your kids busy and happy during the summer.
It makes any parent saner and less distracted when your kids are safe and having fun, right?
Dr. Leah suggests starting with city-run summer programs, which are often labeled “Parks and Rec” or something similar. Some school districts offer budget friendly summer activities, as do YMCAs. Your local public library is a great place to find summer resources.
Or course, scholarships are sometimes available at specialty camps, but these awards are highly competitive. Definitely check out what’s available right away.
Keep in mind, too, that all families are struggling. Chat with other parents and see if some kind of cooperative arrangement might be feasible. Can you swap week day child care, for example, in exchange for providing kid-friendly activities so this couple or other single mom or dad might get a needed break over the weekend?
So, what are your summer plans for your kids?
Do you have any advice for single parents who are struggling with summer planning on a budget?
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Twitter @ aprilabtbalance
Boys & Girls Club. Reasonable cost, comparatively, great field trips, and the girls love it!
April’s last blog post..Weekend Wrap-Up
Twitter @ http://lovebabz.blogspot.com
My Sister-friend and her newly Ex are discussing this and she called to ask me…WTF? I haven’t gotten to Easter!
Last Summer they (all 4 kids) went to the POSH Neighbor Music School (I used to sit on the Board before they kicked me off when My scandal hit the local paper) Anyway they were there…but it was a small FORTUNE even with scholarships! LOL!
I sent them to a Ghetto camp the year before last when my EX walked out Oh not a great time had…they were shocked at the language, behaviour and overall attitudes of the kids…LOL! But Mama had NO MONEY! So I took them out early and hung out at the beach for the remainder of the summer.
So maybe this year they will go to their schools camp for a couple of weeks. Then we will hang at the beach everyday for the remainder of the summer again.
So sorry for the long way home post LOL!
Lovebabz’s last blog post..NINA SIMONE…FEELING GOOD
I would recommend these two free sites for parents looking for summer camp advice on cost, features, etc:
http://summercamphandbook.com
http://campparents.org
Twitter @ http://www.singlemommindy.blogspot.com
My oldest will be going to college in the fall so she will be working and playing in her spare time. Another daughter will be in summer school due to some bad grades and another is on our neighborhood swim team, that is if we haven’t already moved! Not sure about my youngest…
MindyMom’s last blog post..Single Mom Pioneer: Christine Collins
Twitter @ crazycompdad
My son goes to his mom’s for the summer. We usually plan a few camping, snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking trips for when the weather gets warm. It takes me a little while to get used to not being a parent for a bit, and then it takes time to get used to being a parent. My son has a great time just being a boy and not having a whole lot of rules! 
Planning the summer can be stressful last year my little one did cooking camp, acting camp and dance. They were each only 2-3 hrs a day for two weeks. These were in supplement to the normal day care facility she was in. I had to hire my babysitter to taxi her around town. Not sure if i will do that this year. But i need time to work, so she has to be somewhere.
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