Summer camps - letting go of your kids

[Heavenly]

I am specifically posting this here because there are probably a lot of moms like me who have not really had their kids with strangers for any length of time. I am looking into some day camps for the kids for the summer. During the year they have gymnastics, dance, swimming lessons, AWANA and T-ball. Yes they are busy kids but they love it! Anyways all of those things have either ended already or will end by the end of June. They want some organized activities for the summer too and are interested in attending day camps. They would only go to half-day ones (9-12) but even so I am having a really hard time thinking of letting them go. We've done lessons but that isn't more than an hour and I usually stay in the waiting area. I don't know why this is making me so nervous. I know I cannot keep them chained to me. So how do you make transition from being home with mom all the time to doing things by themselves for awhile?

[chfriend]

A number of the homeschool moms here run summer camps, so if my dd went, they wouldn't be among strangers. Any chance of that? Or you could set up a short camp coop with some friends?

[AnnR33]

Your oldest is only 6 right? I have to admit that I didn't let my son go to a day camp with people I didn't know (thru park & rec) until my son was 7. It was a 2.5 hr farm camp thing and he had a blast. When I called to sign up I did ask about child:adult ratios and total number of kids (the lady even said she never had anyone ask about the ratios-sad I think).
He's had good experiences and I am letting my DD who will be almost 6 when she attends the same farm camp go because she's been begging for the last yr
I'd just be sure to ask questions and on the first day if anything doesn't "feel" right then don't do it. But I've found that the high school/college kids are well trained and organized in our park & rec and the one thing we did that was near water was with adult leaders, not high school kids which I was very happy about.

[lilyka]

when they were as young as yours they usually went with a friend. this gave them a home base while still allowing us both to chill out and have some fun on our own.

[cottonwood]

It makes me nervous because I don't have *any* reason to trust people with my children unless I know them very, very well. I am just starting to get comfortable with my *ten*-year-old being off on his own. The younger kids, no.

[Ruthla]

Keep searching- you might find a camp that offers half days or only a few days per week. Or sign them up for individual lessons rather than a structured day camp.

[True Blue]

I decided this summer I just HAVE to send my DS to camp for his sake and mine! He's going to a camp from the Y that is all outdoors, real camp experience, 3 days a week all day. My DS is very active, and needs things going on all the time. We're military, transfer season is coming up so kids will be moving, many of our close friends won't be around much or are gone the whole summer....we'd go crazy. He wants to go go go. He wants to know at bedtime what we are doing tomorrow. I have a hard time trusting other people, but at the same time, I don't think we could survive this summer easily. I honestly would like to spend some one on one time with my DD, get some projects done, etc. It might be a little selfish, but I KNOW DS is going to LOVE it. I went to day camp growing up and had so much fun, and I want him to experience that. I want him to be OUTSIDE this summer, doing nature stuff, playing sports, singing, swimming...and I just know I won't provide all that for him, and I will be hard-pressed to fulfull his extroverted needs this summer. Plus, we are homeschooling, he will spend every other day this year at home with me...I think we will both benefit from some time apart. I don't mean that in a negative way. I don't get many breaks, as I'm sure many of us homeschooling moms don't, but this is one way I can without completely ditching my ideals. He will get something I can't really give him, I get a little down time. I would not have sent him if I couldn't find a real camp (many are basically preschool during the summer or field trip camps around here, neither of which thrills me...the first for obvious reasons and the latter bc if I were going to trust someone else with my child, I certainly wouldn't want them traipsing all around the city with him!!).

OK this is long winded LOL. Basically, I feel ok letting him go bc he is ready, and I know I will be with him the rest of the year....6 weeks of camp only equals 18 days...the other 347 he'll be here with me...doesn't seem so bad now does it?

[MSings]

Our local Waldorf school ran a camp that my son, 5 at the time, adored. It was very quiet and peaceful and he came home totally happy- it was in the school's kindergarden room with a fenced in natural play yard.

[phathui5]

My six year old is going to summer camp for the first time this year. It's at our local nature center. It's a week long, from 9am to 1pm.

[rsps]

my boy both loved half-day camps from about age 4 on. They did them at the Natural history museum and studied dinosaurs and disected owl pellets and lots of fun stuff. This year they both said they didn't want to go. (the younger almost always does what his brother does.) But it was a positive experience for them for several years.