Hellobee

Hanging loose this summer

It has been an action packed summer here at Mom Camp Headquarters: Visited six states,  played with nine distant cousins, enjoyed countless ice cream cones and we’ve almost worn holes in our Native Jeffersons (not even sure how that is possible!) – and summer isn’t over yet.

In early May I looked into day camps for D, only to discover that most camps on the East Coast run about $650 per week. If I worked outside the home this would just be another budgetary items on the looong list of child-rearing expenses. But, since I’m home I had this insane idea that I was all the entertainment and enrichment that the Sk8ers needed this summer.

As the end of the school year approached I got a bit panicky about the summer weeks ahead – city life has many advantages, but telling your kids to, “go out and play,” isn’t one of them. So, I pulled out the calendar, crunched some numbers, took to the web and came up with a three month schedule that satisfied the OCD planner in me. It turned out that traveling to visit family and friends is a more fulfilling and memorable way to spend camp dollars and days. Once our trips were arranged we had six free, nonconsecutive weeks to plot and during those weeks (we still have a few weeks left at the end of August) we settled into a natural schedule of enjoyment, loll and productivity.

out for a scoot

We’ve had some major successes, a few tears and a whole lot of smiles. Some days I make Joan Crawford seem like a good mom. Some days we watch too much TV. Some days we aren’t home for 12 hours. It just depends. I’m easy on myself and let the boys’ energy dictate the day. Here is how I loosely organized our time.

Daily

1. Workbooks – I got D (who will be in 1st Grade this fall) the Star Wars Workbook: 1st Grade Math and Kindergarten Success with Sight Words (Sylvan Workbooks). G got My First Book of Tracing (Kumon Workbooks). G is a little young (3), but he likes sitting with us and doing his “homework.” I packed these books on our trips and was surprised by how enthusiastic the boys were about working on them.

So focused

2.  Get outside and move –  There are numerous studies about how physical activity and sunshine improve children’s moods and their ability to think, not to mention that being trapped in 1000 sq ft of space with two wild animals um, I mean rowdy boys is nerve-racking. Just as I was surprised about the boys’ enthusiasm with their workbooks, I was equally shocked by what a chore it was to get these kids out the door! Like adults sometimes kiddos crave lazy summer days and want to do nothing. The easy activity was to ride scooters to a local playground, and on really hot days we broke out the water guns and headed to the sprinkler parks. Most of my kids’ friends are in camp so we were on our own – free to terrorize the hood as we please.

3. Chores – I finally had the energy and time to implement chores (this only works at home, not while traveling) and allowance. There are a lot of thoughts regarding allowance, but we have decided that $5 a week works for us. I didn’t get an allowance growing up, but it has been pretty educational. I’ve already had a chance to use, “Do you really want to use your own money on that flour sifter? Okay then, why do you think I do, hmm?” I’m starting small – clear your dirty dishes, try and make your bed (pull the covers up), Swiffer the floor, wipe the table, that sort of thing, but D has been asking me if he can scrub the toilet…daily – I’m not going to say no.

4.  Unstructured Playtime, aka, “Go into your room and play with all those toys we bought you.” – At first I couldn’t shake the guilt – Was I avoiding my duty as my kids’ 24/7 play servant? But, then I read some articles about how unstructured play time helps children establish higher executive functioning, so I sat back for those blissful 45 minutes listening to them in their make-believe world (sometimes bickering) while I ordered my Fresh Direct groceries.

Weekly*

1. Playdate –  I’m kind of a play date nut – to be honest, I’d have a play date every day if people weren’t away on vacation or at camp. It’s fun to talk to other parents in the neighborhood and it’s good for my boys to play with people their own age. Usually these happen at local playgrounds or splash parks, but we have been known to brave real restaurants – the kind that Brooklyn hipsters frequent, so that the kids are entertained by tattoos and beards, while the Mommies sip micro-brew.

2. Get Cultural –  We have so many wonderful options in NYC – museums, plays, concerts – and if you can rope another friend into the adventure well, you’ve crossed off weekly #1 AND #2.

Striking a Jedi pose at the American Museum of Natural History

3. Family Game Night  – Ugh, a little honestly here, I absolutely loathe board (and card) games. Seriously, I’m not even joking when I say that I’d rather match an entire laundry load of black socks than have family game night. But, the boys love games and asked for it – so how can I say no?

4. Swimming Lessons – I’ve kept our Monday afternoon appointment with Imagine Swimming. The boys love swimming, it wears them out (after all, the whole goal of Mom Camp is to make sure that the children are thoroughly worn out by bedtime), and swimming and summer go together like Moms and Birkenstocks.

* Side note: Since I have  Masters in Library Science, a weekly trip to our library would make sense, but our local library branch has terrible (and crowded) programming – so sadly, we tend to drop and dash at our local hub. BUT, a new facility is in works. Fingers crossed that next year “library time” will be on the weekly agenda.

Monthly 

1. Travel – I strongly believe that not all lessons happen in the class room; the ultimate souvenir is a broader perspective, right? At least once a month we have been able to travel to our friends and family afar. From fishing with Grandpa in Utah, to searching for litter in the California tide pools, these kids have experienced so much more than I ever did at their age. Summer is the perfect time for encouraging Jr. Wanderlusts to experience new things. May their wonder never be lost, nor their curiosity quenched.

Did anyone else brave the summer sans camp? I’d love to hear how you survived organized your free time and what exciting adventures you’ve been up to.