Summer break is in full swing. This time of year I see the usual blog being shared over and over. It is called something like I'm not a camp director or a cruise director, something close to that. Of course, right this second I cannot locate it. It goes on to talk about how the writer is not planning summer fun activities for every second of the day. The writer is against that. That is the writer's choice, but I'm tired of parents shaming each other for varying opinions. Maybe I want to be a camp director all summer, and that's fine, too. I will not shame you for just chilling all summer. So please don't shame me for my over planning.
I take a portion of my parenting philosophy from the great 90s movie Hook. The mom is explaining to grown up Peter that kids grow up so fast and soon they will be begging their kids for their time instead of the kids begging for the parents' attention. I swear just yesterday gabrielle was a baby and now she will be entering middle school in the fall. They grow up in a snap. "For parenting, the days are long, but the years are short." So for me, I love to plan fun, memorable days. When I worked full time, I had Monday's off. We called them Monday fun days. Every Monday, we would do something whether it was going to the park, swimming, hiking, or for bad weather days we had movie marathons. When I stopped working, I started really planning summer fun.
We utilize local free events, like the summer ending program at the library and play dates. We go to the $1 movie program at the local movie theaters. Our Parks and Rec department has tons of fun programs like outdoor plays, outdoor movies, park passports, splash playgrounds. We have memberships to the local zoo and Children's Discovery Museum. We get season passes to the local pools. We have at home art days and movie days. Every summer we watch all of the Harry Potter movies and all the Star Wars movies.
We visit relatives. We plan day trips. My daughter always attends church camp and one more local camp, depending on her interests. She plays softball, so we practice in the yard. Plus I always make her do school work. I buy a workbook each summer for her to complete. The focus is keeping her retention of what she already knows. This is not her favorite part of the summer but she starts the school year off on the right foot.
I love being a "camp director" and I'm not ashamed of it. Be the parent you want to be, and never let others shame you for your choices.
