To spend
your child to summer camp or not? There’s a lot of controversy over summer
camps and the reasons that people send their children there.
So, should we send
our little ones off for the summer? Or should we avoid that course of action?
What are the alternatives?
Pro Summer Camp
There are plenty
of reasons to send your child to summer camp. If
you are a lone parent or you and your partner both work long hours, kids can
become discontent, bored and irritable if they have to stay home day in and day
out. A babysitter might just not cut it. Not only will camp activities keep
your child occupied, but there are a range of other benefits.
For
example, your child is exposed to nature, they make new friends, meet new
people from different backgrounds, learn new skills and (if all goes well) this
combination of things will give them a self-esteem boost.
Anti Summer Camp
In the
corner of the “anti-summer” camp, we have individuals who believe that people
send their children to summer camp to avoid their inconvenience. As summer
arrives and your kids finish their school terms, they’re going to be around
24/7. Some parents feel they need a break and summer camp is somewhere to send
their kids so that they can have a more relaxed and stress free time at home.
Some would
say that this is bad parenting and that parents should use the summer break to
bond with their children themselves rather than paying someone else to bond
with them instead. There’s also the problem that summer camp might not be right
for every child. More introverted or shy
children might be extremely uncomfortable in summer camp situations. They might
not make friends. They might end up feeling isolated and homesick. So, what do
you do if summer camp isn’t for you and your children?
Alternatives
There are
plenty of alternatives to summer camp out there. If you want a break from the
family home, you can take your kids away. Why not take them camping yourself?
Pack their bags, grab a tent and venture into the great outdoors on family
friendly campsites. If you can’t see yourself coping too well with a week or
two of sleeping on a roll matt under a not-so-waterproof tent lining, then you
can go for other modes of accommodation.
RVs
and trailers are both great; they offer you the
comforts of home and a larger space to stay in. You can also drive to your
destination in them, which cuts travel worries out of the equation.
At home, you can engage in all sorts of activities with
your children. Arts and crafts, writing, instruments, playing
with toys; the list goes on. Your children can
invite their friends around for the day, which means that they will still
develop social skills. Their parents may be thankful of your for asking. For
example, if you could have their child for a few hours while they’re at
work.But you also don’t want your child cooped up in the house all day.
Incorporate some sporting and outdoors activities into the mix
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