DETROIT – Significant snowfall hasn't even hit us here in Metro Detroit, but if you're a parent of school-aged kids, you're probably already getting hit with the "signup for summer camp" emails.
I love the idea of summer, but it's far too soon to make these decisions. My crew wants to go sledding.
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We want to get into snowball fights. Let the kids (and my bank account) enjoy WINTER.
I get it. These places want to put the pressure on early because "spots fill up fast." But I find it a bit overwhelming. I have three kids all under age 10. That's camp times three for us. Three little people with three very different interests.
My 9-year-old daughter would do artwork from morning until night. My 6-year-old son wakes up and starts kicking a soccer ball in between throwing a football. My 3-year-old son thinks he's a dinosaur half the time.
What's a parent to do?
We want them to have fun, but we can't find three camps for them to go to without emptying the gas tank daily. It seems to be our annual struggle, and it feels like these places are poking us sooner and more aggressively than ever.
We haven't had time to explore our options and now it feels like a fire-sale on camps and we need to act now or they'll be applying for jobs because there's no camps available.
Camp is not optional for many families. We can't leave them alone with their iPads all day. We have to do it. But, do we have to decide already? I guess so.
Are you a parent with the solution for summer camp stress? Email me at mmorawski@wdiv.com, I'd love to share (and take advantage of) your summer camp secrets!