Are You Ready for Summer Yet?

Well, it’s almost that time of year again! Summer.  The kids will be home, and you will ask yourself, “Now, what will I do with these kids?”  Well, I’m glad you asked!  Fortunately for you, many other people have asked that same question and have come up with some costly solutions for you.  After all, you need something for your kids to do while you are off at work … every day … until you take that one week off for the family vacation.  I just hope you saved some money so that you can pay for your kids’ summer fun.

If you are lucky enough to live in the New York City vicinity (or probably in any major urban city), you have a variety of summer camps available for your precious little kids, most which cost a pretty penny.  But wait, you’re working all summer.  You’ll be able to pay for it.  After all, isn’t that why you go to work?

I first had the pleasure of the summer camp experience the summer before my son entered the first grade and my daughter entered kindergarten.  Up until then, they just stayed in their nursery school all year long.  But now, they were going to change schools and this particular summer camp had a location at the new school they would be attending in September.  I thought that it would be a good idea to have them get used to going to the new school before school actually began.  I went to the open house and watched the presentation.  It was a great camp!  The kids went swimming three times a week, went on trips once a week, went to the beach once a week, and alternated Fridays between horseback riding and gymnastics.  I must say, that camp was worth every penny of the $6,000.00 their father paid for those kids!  Those kids were exhausted when I picked them up.  I had to keep my daughter awake on the bus ride home.  When we got home, it was dinner, a bath, and bed.  Oh man, that was a great summer for me (The following summer they had more stamina.  They didn’t fall asleep so easily).  They continued going to that camp until they were about eleven and twelve years old. 

After that was performing arts camp for my daughter.  This was great camp as well.  She took the bus out to Long Island every day where she had classes in modern dance and acting (they also had a swimming pool).  Her father and I went out to see her perform in a play, and in a dance recital.  $5,000.00 was a good investment in that camp.  That summer, while she was performing her heart out, her brother first went to a summer program at a catholic high school and then was in a prep class for the specialized high school exam that he was going to take in October.  I don’t even remember how much those programs set his father back.

 The next summer, it’s my daughter’s turn for the prep class and my son decided that he wanted to go to basketball camp, so off to basketball camp he went.  That camp was a steal at $200.00 per week.   I didn’t even flinch when he said that he wanted to go back the following summer.

All this is to say three things:

1. If you have kids, you will most likely put them in a summer camp, at least when they are                 young.
   
2. Depending upon where you live, there will be an assortment of camps to choose from that will suit any and all interests: STEM camp, academic camp, sleep away camp, YMCA, performing arts camp, basketball camp, baseball camp, science camp, nature camp, space camp, etc.
   
3. You better start saving your money early in the year.  In fact, just set up a dedicated savings account for summer camp because most of them aren’t cheap!  I am so thankful that my kids are teenagers now.  They will either be working or volunteering somewhere this summer (preferably working).  

             So, now you know …. Consider yourself warned!

              Parents, what summer activities do you have planned for your children?